VALENTINE’S DAY
RYAN: Valentine’s Day is the aptly titled romantic comedy starring everyone in Hollywood from director Garry Marshall.
CAROLINE: It truly is a cast of thousands. And no one disappointed except Jessica Alba, who still can’t act.
RYAN: And Taylor Swift, who if you weren’t annoyed by before… you will be now. Everyone else has great moments. There are several vignettes woven together which was a little irk-tastic because just as you’re sinking into one storyline, you’re off to the next. The pacing was okay, but not perfect.
CAROLINE: And I was wondering if some pair was supposed to be the featured couple, like, who’s the star? No one is. But some get more screen time than others.
RYAN: Like Miss Jennifer Garner.
CAROLINE: Which is great for me and I really liked her story. But one thing I noticed – for a movie about Valentine’s Day, there’s a lot of dissing of love, bad break-ups and cheating.
RYAN: Well what’s great about it is it covers every stage of romance. So whether you’re single and jaded or happily coupled when you see this, you’ll be able to identify with someone.
CAROLINE: Totally. I know all the single ladies will –
RYAN: “All the single ladies…”
CAROLINE: Thank you, Beyoncé. All the single ladies will go out to see this, as well as the married ones and the gays, and I think it’s a fun movie. It won’t make you want to barf, either way. It’s sort of the perfect late-teen through forty-something movie. There’s a little something for everyone. I even wept once.
RYAN: Yeah, you did. And there’s a little something for the grandfolks too with the likes of Shirley MacLaine and Hector Elizondo.
CAROLINE: They were cute. I really liked their story; but Shirley has scary cat eyes now.
RYAN: Meanwhile, this film has McDreamy and McSteamy in it!
CAROLINE: It’s a veritable Grey’s Anatomy love fest. And Patrick Dempsey even plays a doctor.
RYAN: I loved Anne Hathaway and Topher Grace. They had the best chemistry and I really felt they were the most real. And Julia too. Jessica Biel and Jenny Garner were a lot more flighty. But their roles were more comedic.
CAROLINE: Anne did do a very good job, and even though Julia Roberts isn’t in it a ton, her part is very sweet. And there are a lot of hot guys in it… and girls. And you must must must stay for the end credits.
RYAN: The storyline between The Taylors Swift and Lautner – filmed while they were a couple – show us he’s a much better actor than she is. Not that he has great range in this movie, but she is so painful! And then she’s in a scene scored by one of her own songs and I was like, “Somebody spare me… with a chainsaw.”
CAROLINE: I so don’t get her. I really don’t know why she’s famous. I guess they were looking for another name in the role. And yet there are a couple random nobodies in it.
RYAN: The soundtrack is otherwise fabulous. But the costumes were terrible; a lot of light blouses/dark skirts on the women. Everyone looks frumpy. This movie was in desperate need of Patricia Field (Sex and the City).
CAROLINE: And when will they learn Jessica Alba doesn’t work as a blonde?
RYAN: I might have to write a letter to Melissa Gilbert about that.
CAROLINE: [laughs’ Is she still the head of the Actors Guild?
RYAN: No. But I will call this to her attention nonetheless; maybe on Facebook. We should really also mention Ashton Kutcher and Jamie Foxx are remarkably not annoying.
— BOTTOM LINE —
CAROLINE: It’s very cute. Overall, I’d say it’s good not great; but I definitely enjoyed it. It’s light and fun and it also tugs at the heartstrings a couple times. It’s not the movie of the year, but a definitely fun one.
RYAN: It’s a little long too. I noticed my friend, Lauren, checking the time towards the end. It lags in moments but never tragically. I was never bored. I was thinking it’s pretty good during it; but by the end, I was like, “I love this movie.”
CAROLINE: I totally hear you. The last five minutes made me really, really like it. But mostly it’s decent, not great.
— RATING —
