This year, Valentine’s Day has a couple of movies that appeal to couples looking for entertainment of the romantic variety with a unique twist. One of which is Love Hurts. In this film, the filmmakers attempt to combine romance with action and comedy and hope to deliver a satisfying experience. An enjoyable experience depends on what one expects from this movie because, though the concept is inventive, the end result is ultimately fun but somewhat predictable.
Ke Huy Quan stars as Marvin Gable, a charming and amiable man who works as a successful realtor whose goal is to provide homes for those seeking a comfortable life. However, Marvin has a very dark and disturbing past. Before becoming a real estate legend, Marvin worked as a hitman for his gangster brother, Alvin, aka Knuckles (Daniel Wu), a heavy hitter who wanted Marvin to come back. After Marvn has established himself as a successful realtor, his former love, Rose (Ariana DeBose) reemerges and draws him back to old life.
I had a good time with this movie. The mixture of humor and action works well in delivering an entertaining film. However, the writing lacks depth when it comes to developing the characters. And to be perfectly honest, the entire affair plays out very predictably. The movie offers so few surprises, which left me wanting so much more from this film.
The action sequences are excellently choreographed, and Ke Huy Quan once again shows his skills tremendously. His boyish charm works well here and helps make this lacking story work well enough to keep audiences engaged. Ariana De Bose is solid as Marvin’s love interest and the source of most of his recent troubles, but one can see how one could fall in love with her. The film has a good cast of actors who work well despite the script’s weaknesses.
Love Hurts is an amusing and entertaining movie, but it isn’t awe-inspiring when one thinks about it. It is a classic case of a filmmaker selling the experience well, but in hindsight, it is not a completely satisfying journey.