Valentine’s Day is a treat, however the film Valentine’s Day not so much. The film borrows the theme and structure of 2003’s Love Actually, mixing intertwining stories of love and friendship producing the (tired) theme that love is all around us – even when we least expect it.

The film features many of Hollywood’s most popular stars; Jessica Alba, Ashton Kutcher, Taylor Lautner, Taylor Swift and brings back some greats like Kathy Bates, Julia Roberts, Hector Elizondo, and Shirley MacLaine. However the film fails to impress. The love stories feel as fake as the city they’re set in (Los Angeles). The characters gestures of love and affections seem too over the top and trite. Not enough time is given for the characters to develop their back stories that are needed for their relationships to appear anything more than shallow. The viewer is forced to believe the characters are in love, yet does not offer any cute flaws, loveable quirks (or chemistry) that make romantic comedies believable or at least tolerable. The stories of love appear insincere, forced and sometimes desperate. But Anne Hathaway’s character has an interesting job and Taylor Lautner’s character can do an awesome backflip so…
Happy Valentine’s Day!

-Al Einstein