The Universal Pictures film “Love Hurts,” comes in time for Valentine’s Day to remind us all that love hurts. The season of love has arrived and Hollywood is making its effort to rake in that holiday cash.
The kung-fu, romantic movie yanks Ke Huy Quan away from his quiet, comfortable life as a realtor and thrusts him back into the fast-paced world of crime. All we know is that Quan’s character – Marvin Gable – worked for his brother by killing and burying people who crossed them.
When Marvin is tasked with killing an accountant named Rose – played by Ariana DeBose who stole money from the brother, he decides to disobey orders and let her go free – because he’s in love. At some point, he leaves the business and becomes a realtor. His work grows in success and he even wins the regional realtor of the year award. But, all that is uprooted when Rose comes back to retake the life that she was forced away from.
The film leans into Valentine’s in every way possible, from the dramatic pink, purple and red lighting that comes from who knows where, to the colorful filters and uncomfortable dialogue that is shoved down our throats.
Quan and DeBose didn’t have the chemistry. It felt like they were in two different worlds. Maybe it was the film that deprioritized the love component or maybe it was just them not feeling it, but nevertheless, it was insufferable to watch.
However, the hater of Valentine’s Day Marvin’s assistant, played by Lio Tipton, fell for a poetic, broody, serial killer-type that she found passed out in Marvin’s office. I found their dynamic absurd enough to the point of my suspension of belief working. Their characters complemented each other’s vibe and created an enjoyable experience whenever they were on the screen.
The film makes an effort to be a comedy, but tries to do so in the worst ways possible. Rather than telling jokes or letting comedy shine through the ridiculousness of a situation, they force humor – if you could call it that – by bringing goofy characters that are extremely unbelievable and give the whole thing a plastic feel.
There is a gem somewhere in the rubble with this one. The stunts in this movie were incredible, the camera danced around the room making each fight scene feel so dynamic and creative. The choreography, and props all worked excellently to keep the multitude of fight scenes engaging and unique.
This makes sense considering the first-time director, Jonathan Eusobio, worked as a stunt choreographer for many years in the industry. Working with 87North Productions – started by “The Fall Guy” director David Leitch and “John Wick” director Chad Stahelski – they had a stellar team of stunt choreographers helping on the project.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much to this movie in terms of emotional appeal or thought-provoking ideas. I would even make the argument that it’s not a movie to watch sober. If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day date idea, this is not it. Go see this movie after a few beers or a joint to watch some excellent fight scenes and forgettable characters with a missing story.
“Love Hurts” is now showing at Cinemark!
Chris Hutton can be reached at orionmanagingeditor@gmail.com or cshutton@csuchico.edu
