DVD Review: Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is your typical romantic comedy. It follows the formula of Love Actually, all the characters somehow know each other – and not everyone is going to end up happily ever after. And it’s enjoyable, funny, and cute – it’s got an all-star cast (19 big names!), but something is missing.
The stories of these individuals intersect and collide with one another throughout the film. There’s lots of romance, cheating, and of course LOTS of flowers … I mean it is after all Valentine’s day… but it’s not purely a feel good film. There are a lot of dark moments that you may not seem coming.
Ashton Kutcher’s character is my favorite (Reed Bennett). Where are the guys like this in real life? I certainly don’t know any. He has an almost girl-like outlook on love and romance, and of course he’s paired with a girl who doesn’t appreciate that (Morley – played by Jessica Alba). His adorable best friend Julia (Jennifer Garner) is also clueless, but obviously a supportive friend and one who appreciates him. Julia and Reed would clearly make a better couple, but they’ve never realized this before. I could explain to you all the intricate weavings of how these characters relate – but that would just spoil some of the best moments of the film.
I will say one more thing on the characters though – and don’t keep reading if you don’t want to be spoiled…
It was incredibly difficult for me to buy Dr. Steamy (Eric Dane) as a gay man. Perhaps it’s because I’ve watched too many episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey) has a role as well – not his typical role either. On that front, it’s nice to see some of these characters playing roles that we don’t typically see them in – but it just feels strained for a lot of these actors. Almost like the film is trying to be too diverse. It should happen naturally, and a lot of it seems a little to Hollywood scripted.
The Blu-ray special features are worth nothing though. The stars of the film confess their Valentine’s Day stories (probably the best feature), there is a blooper reel, and of course commentary by the director – though I would have love to have seen commentary by the stars as well. Overall, it’s a fun flick. I just feel like I’ve seen this formula too many times, and no one does it as good as Love Actually did it.
Grade: C+
Review By: Emma Loggins
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