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Film reviews

Love Hurts Review

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When there is a film with Ke Huy Quan, expect it to bring grandeur with mesmerizing characterizations full of personality. His acting makes audiences think back to his role as a child in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He still brings fascination that shines wonderfully on the screen many decades later. His role this time around is as a successful career man trying to deal with many life and death issues. The past, however, is what comes to haunt him. Love Hurts is one-of-a-kind and quirky with excellence. 

Quan plays Marvin Gable, a realtor who has had a life with many deadly trails. He is in the mindset of assuming life is good, but it’s about to get a whole lot worse. As he is navigating his days with his colleagues, fragments of his past come back to him. There are various strange signals, and chances of danger. An anonymous message comes into his life, and from there, Love Hurts spirals. There is a whole lot of negative impactwhich comes on gradually and then accelerates. The instigator of the past scenarios which comes back around for vengeance is Rose Carlisle (played by Ariana DeBose). Another individual that comes into the picture is The Raven (played by Mustafa Shakir). Both characters are part of Marvin’s life before his career achievements. The antagonist is Alvin ‘Knuckles’ Gable (played by Daniel Wu), and he is also Marvin’s brother. A trail of deceit and vengeance grows rapidly and turns into a rollercoaster ride full of genius moments.

Love Hurts is wonderful because of the way fantasy decreases and then increases vividly. It goes from Marvin seeing red flags and then progresses to when Rose comes into the picture. Once Rose comes around, the duo dynamically evolves into scenes which are part of a wild death match of an adventure. The action correlates with having a humorous tone while also being visually enticing. Quan and DeBose are a duo of extravaganza. Love Hurts will dazzle its audiences to the max. It is a new direction that does not have to be taken seriously. Before seeing the movie, I was not expecting much. But it turned out to be more than what I was hoping for. The continued trails of trial and error, and the harsh previous events create a tornado of twists and turns. 

In terms of expectations, I will try to put my comparisons into cinematic terms. Think of John Wick meeting Office Space. Both find a pattern to tie together. John Wick for the action sequences and Office Space for the characters’ personalities. When the scenarios involving conflicts and enemies occur, the movie is filled with a climax like Everything Everywhere All at Once. Quan was in Everything Everywhere All at Once and he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance while the film even won Best Picture. Love Hurts has a lighter, more subtle plot than Everything Everywhere All at Once yet still well worth seeing. Three out of four stars.

Film reviews

Heart Eyes Review

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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the color of red which symbolizes love always finds its way into slasher flicks. This is especially true in films where romance takes a drastic turn for the worst which is the case in Heart Eyes. Directed by Josh Rubin, there are elements of joy and humor to go along with this unique title. The movie is neither a terrible nor amazing slasher full of terror, but it is relatively entertaining and fulfilling. With Rubin having credits as a director for Netflix specials and different TV series, his creativity and ability to hold audiences’ attention is on par with arcade fun in Heart Eyes. This movie has moments which feel interactive but not in a way that requires the audience to take it too seriously.  It is a fun thriller to take in for most any type of occasion.

The film’s title refers to a killer known as the “Heart Eyes Killer.” He is a murderer that targets couples on Valentine’s Day. The story begins by taking the audience to a place where true love is being displayed during a proposal. When this killer comes into the scene, the grizzly tone shivers at high level as the stage for murder is set and the loss of innocence spirals. The director is experienced at making his work joyful to watch even when the subject involves death.  

The new targets are a unique pair. The film introduces us to Ally (played by Olivia Holt) and Jay (played by Mason Gooding). They are co-workers doing news work on the night of Valentine’s Day, and they become the new targets of the “Heart Eyes” Killer. The film feels like the setting of a Scream movie. However, it is less violent. Heart Eyes captures the moments when characters try to find the right answers in the suspenseful moments. The film also feels like a puzzle, because thecharacters who play authorities are questionable as well. The two detectives are Detective Hobbs (played by Devon Sawa) and Detective Shaw (played by Jordana Brewster). No, their titles do not relate to the Hobbs and Shaw film, although that is even joked about during the movie. Overall, the film focuses ona group of misfit characters dealing with a killer. The killer’seyes are the shape of hearts, but the hearts signify death. 

I appreciated the cheesiness throughout Heart Eyes. It has a plot that seems predictable, but it does not rely solely on violent tactics to sell the story. The director works to add quirky chemistry between the many characters who are navigating the dangers. A spirit of teamwork in a group of not-so-bright minds is how Heart Eyes lands on an intriguing vibe. The film is kind of like a Hallmark holiday movie filled with both slashes andlaughs. It also succeeds by having an antagonistic tone which keeps the story on track. Hugs and kisses do not see eye-to-eyein Heart Eyes, but the film glows with evil. Two-and-a-half out of four stars for Heart Eyes.

Film reviews

You’re Cordially Invited Review

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What’s worse than wedding plans not falling into place? Having to share your time with a whole different group of people who are not related whatsoever. That is the storyline in You’re Cordially Invited. Written and directed by Nicholas Stoller, this R-rated comedy is filled with lighthearted joy. You’re Cordially Invited made me think of the saying, “It takes two to tango!” The double-booked wedding is at the center of what must come together to make the scenario work. It is a clever comedic setup. All the moving parts, including disasters and disagreements, create a chemistry that works. There is sporadic stupidity, however it’s mostly funny and adds to the film’s comedic charm. 

The idea of weddings and marriage makes for an interesting theme. Happiness in life (and in this movie) hits many plateausand it is a mad world at one wedding venue in Your Cordially Invited. The film focuses on Jim (played by Will Ferrell) and Margot (played by Reese Witherspoon). Jim’s daughter Jenni (played by Geraldine Viswanathan) is getting married, and Margot’s daughter Neve (played by Meredith Hagner) is also getting married. One small error has led to a double-booking of the weddings. From this point on, the reality of having a wedding to remember goes into high gear with so many issues at hand. It is boisterous and entertaining. It all comes down to money and tradition—both of which play key roles and are portrayed in egotistical characterizations.

With Ferrell and Witherspoon playing the parents who mustlearn to share the venue, they both have personalities to causeanxiety to go awry. The wedding is on an island, and a lot can go wrong in that setting. For example, an alligator falls into Jim’s bed. The dim-wittedness of You’re Cordially Invited is different because it navigates new territory instead of only what many expect in family conflicts. It keeps the laughs coming by having the two opposing parties falling apart and then learning to work together to share the venue again. The common ground of family turmoil finds a relatable place in You’re Cordially Invited.

The drastic scenarios throughout You’re Cordially Invited had me sold. Surprisingly, I went in with mixed expectations, but I walked out feeling positive. With Ferrell and Witherspoon playing parents going through treacherous disasters, I felt the sense of lines being drawn and the idea of the saying, “You only live once!” The film finds itself on a mission to keep its audience in tune with the hope that happiness will eventually come around. It was sometimes hard to maintain hope given all the weird moments in the film. The stressful scenes were a little bonkers at times and had wedding bells ringing in some crazy ways in You’re Cordially Invited. It seemed like just when oneagreement was made a new can of worms opened where disasters and uncharted, yet hysterical, perils were inevitable.

This is a film where a comedy and drama combine in a lighthearted flow of writing and characterization. The wedding setting provides perspective. In the end, You’re Cordially Invitedis appealing. Three out of four stars.