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Well, my first immediate impression of Valentine's Day was 'this looks just like Love Actually. It looks very predictable, acting doesn't look brilliant but it does look like a bit of fun'. Now, that is EXACTLY what it turned out like. It is pretty much the same as Love Actually but is focused on a different occasion. It is a very girly film seeing as it is soppy romance and most girls love Valentine's Day. I mean, I think Valentine's Day is the most pointless occasion ever but the film made Valentine's Day quite a generous and nice occasion so that's the best bit of credit I can give it.
The ensemble cast is one of the largest film ensemble casts in film history. It indeed does feature some great Hollywood actors from the 90s and some of the good ones (but some unnecessarily overrated actors). Set in Los Angeles, florist Reed Bennett (Ashton Kutcher) proposes to his girlfriend Morley (Jessica Alba) who accepts, much to the surprise of Reed’s closest friends Alphonso (George Lopez) and Julia Fitzpatrick (Jennifer Garner). Julia, an elementary school teacher has fallen in love with Dr. Harrison Copeland (Patrick Dempsey), but does not know that he is married to his wife Pamela (Katherine LaNasa). On an airplane to Los Angeles, Kate Hazeltine (Julia Roberts), a captain in the U.S. Army on a one-day leave, befriends newly single Holden Bristow (Bradley Cooper). One of Julia’s students, Edison (Bryce Robinson), orders flowers from Reed, to be sent to his teacher. Edison's babysitter Grace (Emma Roberts) is planning to lose her virginity with her boyfriend Alex (Carter Jenkins). Grace’s high-school friends, Willy (Taylor Lautner) and Felicia (Taylor Swift), are experiencing the freshness of new love, and have agreed to wait to have sex. Edison’s grandparents, Edgar (Hector Elizondo) and Estelle (Shirley MacLaine) are facing the troubles of a long marriage. Sean Jackson (Eric Dane), a closeted gay professional football player, is contemplating the end of his career together with his publicist Kara (Jessica Biel) and his agent Paula (Queen Latifah). Liz (Anne Hathaway) who has started dating mailroom clerk Jason (Topher Grace). Jason is first shocked when Liz turns out to be moonlighting as a phone sex operator. So, yeah there are a lot of stories. My favourite one was the story between Reed Bennett, Jessica Alba and Jennifer Garner. So glad that overrated fake Taylor Lautner wasn't in it much so I think that has increased my rating of the film a little bit. Best performance in the film was definitely Jennifer Garner!
Garry Marshall (director of Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride and The Princess Diaries) tried something that I knew wasn't even possible and that was to try and receive a better critical response than Love Actually but it didn't. I would be ashamed of myself if I were him despite it was neither good not bad. Script was alright. Pretty cheesy most of the time but I was sort of expecting that to be honest.
Overall, Valentine's Day is an averagely entertaining film that I think is more for girls. Guys, I would give this one a miss.
6/10
