Love Happens

Rating:

Love Happens is a different kind of film in that it’s not the typical chick flick you might expect… but in this case, different isn’t really a good thing. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the movie was bad, but it’s definitely not what I expected.

First of all, the advertisements and title are completely misleading. I, like many others, walked into the theater thinking I was about to see a cute and quirky love story that would leave me feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Instead, I left the movies that day depressed and hoping I would never have to go through what the people in the movie experienced. If I had known the movie was all about death and grief, I probably would not have gone to see the movie. Love, like the title and commercials suggest, barely has anything to do with the movie. In the words of Tina Turner, “What’s love got to do with it?” The story takes place within a matter of days, and the characters played by Jennifer Anniston and Aaron Eckhart aren’t even in a real relationship during the movie. What happens between the main characters is something I would hardly call love.

I will give credit to whoever came up with the idea for the film; the execution, however, was a disappointment. Parts of the movie are cute, but there is nothing particularly creative or clever. Overall, the movie just does not stand out. It will make you cry, though, if you’re the kind of person who’s in to crying at movie theaters. Personally, I’m not particularly fond of the idea and hated the fact that I had to choke back tears about five times.

I have four words to say to whoever categorizes films: romantic comedy, my ass. If you’re looking for a fun movie to go see, this would not be the right choice.