Love Happens (2009) Reviews

• OK but not spectacular

  neil-4762009-10-21

  Every now and then, for reasons known only to itself, the movie machine promotes a movie as being one thing when it is actually something very different. Love Happens is a case in point. The trailer sells it as a romantic comedy: it isn't. Sure, there are some smiles during it, but it is actually a light drama dealing with bereavement and grief. Aaron Eckhart is good in a role which stretches him rather further than usual, and Jennifer Aniston is satisfactory in a part which demands little of her than to look attractive, occasionally pleased and, more often, rather puzzled. Martin Sheen is OK in a role which is deceitfully sold initially as one thing but turns out to be quite another. Judy Greer has a small, but entertaining role. But pride of place must go to John Carroll Lynch with a strong, sympathetic, and very believable performance in a supporting role. I enjoyed this movie even though I felt that it was rather glib in the way it dealt with some elements of the story (the resolution of the relationship between Eckhart and Sheen for instance).

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• Not quite what I was expecting

  gasawaye2009-09-16

  I went to a preview of this movie last night with my husband. I was expecting the standard romantic comedy chick flick. Although there are plenty of funny moments in this movie, it has an emotional depth that is very appealing. It also has another really great performance by Aaron Eckhart, who must be one of the most unappreciated actors in the business. I'm no Jennifer Aniston fan, but I have to admit she's a talented actress and not just a celebrity when I see her in a role like this. Judy Greer and Dan Fogler are great in supporting roles. It's difficult to say much about the plot without giving most of it away. The script is full of the physco-babble you would expect in a movie about a self help guru; sometimes it comes across as intentionally silly, and sometimes it seems to have real meaning. There are small revelations made all the way through the movie that lead up to the final conclusion. There is also unexpected eye candy in the form of beautiful floral arrangements that contrast well with the gloomy Seattle weather. I was afraid my 56-year-old husband would complain about driving 45 minutes to see a movie like this on a week night. But he also enjoyed it, and there were no complaints. Most of the people in the theater also seemed to enjoy it, although I have to admit that they didn't laugh as much as we did. Not a "must see", but if you're looking for some good entertainment, you could do far worse.

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• Not much happens... not even love

  Siamois2010-01-01

  The premise of this movie held a lot of potential but unfortunately, Love Happens doesn't deliver as... not much happens in this movie. Aaron Eckhart, who seems to struggle not to be type-casted as your average guy in light romantic stuff plays... Burke, an ordinary dude trying to overcome his wife's passing by becoming a modern-day guru for people who have lost loved ones. Jennifer Aniston, who basically embraces her career of being typecast as a romantic interest in romantic flick plays herself once again. This time, she goes by the nickname Eloise but she'll still be that same single woman who's had a string of bad relationships and is till looking for "the one". Director/writer Brandon Camp doesn't give the character of Eloise much substance, and seems content just to let Aniston do her usual work. He seems to have focus mainly (in the script and on screen) on Burke. In the first few minutes, it seems to work; Burke is an interesting character. The self-help speeches are well-written, the pressure on Burke's shoulders is felt. Unfortunately, much of the movie revolves around the relationship that develops when Burke and Eloise bump into each others and begin to know each others. Their interest for each others is uninteresting and lacks credibility, in part because Eloise is so poorly sketched and also because, as we learn to know Burke's real issues, it just seems... wrong. And as the film goes on, it just gets worse as it seems Brandon Camp doesn't understand the topic of mourning very well, and also seems to send the message that using people as emotional crutches, getting involved in relationships when you are not fully ready are good things. Many scenes are almost surreal. Releasing domestic pets into the wild, breaking and entering at your former in-laws, lying, magically curing your sense of loss by shopping at Home Depot... I like quirky stuff, but the mix of comedy, romance and the intense drama underneath wasn't done very well. To top it off, the whole movie is wrapped in a sort of romantic relationship that never happens, and played out with two actors who have little to no chemistry together. Aaron Eckhart is a gifted actor that should have no problem finding roles, but as far as a lead, he's been slightly unlucky and needs to select projects a bit more carefully or risk being type-casted in that type of flicks much like his co-lead. For Aniston, this is the latest in a string of duds. As for Brandon Camp, this isn't his first project tackling grief as he wrote the poor Dragonfly (2002) and I shudder when I look at his next project, Steinbeck's Point of View, which also seems to deal with issues of life and death. I have nothing against writers who focus on certain issues, as long as they master those issues well, which isn't the case for Camp.

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• Not so bad....

  nicki91122009-09-19

  Let me start by saying that I did not think I would like this movie, but it exceeded my expectations. I think what I liked the most about it, was it was not your typical romance movie. I had heard before seeing it that it was predictable and just like every other "chick flick" but the truth is... it's really not. This movie had a lot of depth, a lot of touching moments and yes, obviously romance. That being said, this movie was more about finding the good in life and forgetting all of the hurt and heart aches then it was about romance, although that aspect of it is in there too. Aaron Eckhart is impossible not to like and quite the eye candy. This movie also had some great songs in it! Overall, definitely not too bad!

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• Not comedy, nor really a romance, its a film that will work best if you take it on its own terms

  dbborroughs2009-10-20

  This is an odd little film. More drama with romance than a romance (its not really a romantic comedy). The plot has Aaron Eckhart as a self help guru who is giving a seminar in the home town of his deceased wife. He still hasn't processed his wife's death in a car accident and is uncomfortable by the appearance of his wife's parents. In to the mix comes Jennifer Aniston as a photographer to which he is attracted. Its a touchy feelie weepy of sorts with a dose of romance added. Its not bad but I'm really not sure what I think of it. Its good, but its easy to see why it hasn't found an audience since the title is misleading and its not to "rom com" it was advertised as.

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