Love Happens (2009)

You won't be disappointed!

From my favorite movies..

Best movie ever!

Admirable film.

I do not understand most of the reviews on this website. 2 stars? Seriously? I understand that it might not be the best drama/romance movie around but I believe it deserves at least a 5; I enjoyed each moment of the movie. Aaron Eckhart and Dan Fogler really nailed their roles on this one, and Jennifer Aniston was great as always. A great way to spend your time but not a Titanic replacement. Giving 10 to balance the rating but I would give it 6.5 myself; it is a well done work.

The merit of this movie is that confronted grief, and tried to do so seriously. We know that in daily life, it is hard for any human being just to grief or talk about loss. When I read the critics I see that they have praised this fact but have mentioned that the movie didn't know if to be a comedy or a drama.Grief, life and humor are intertwined in real life. I am no saying that Jennifer Aniston ruined a masterpiece about grief or that the movie didn't have other faults but wherever she is "being herself" (which is Jennifer Aniston over and over) with her fidgeting, her usual getting stuck to pronounce words or express herself,the usual movements of her head like saying hello?? Her superfluous acting, her not getting deep in any emotions, when all this happens any other efforts are cheapen out. She makes everything around look light, silly, frivolous. And for more than others feel what they do and believe their characters , she doesn't seem to have any fiber on her. The only movie when I saw a different performance of JA was "The good girl" but nothing else after that. I was moved by a concept conveyed here: "all these counselors and people that tell us what to do and they haven't examined themselves". That is important. Or the guilt issue which always accompany any grief. When Walter said "I couldn't hold him" this might seem very simple but convey these little details that stay with people when they lose someone and start thinking what they might have done different. And there is little comfort. Aaron Eckhart has this warmth about him that makes him believable. I understand if people don't like the movie, but I think that they tried and the casting of JA didn't help in this effort.It is worthwhile to mention Martin Sheen and John Carroll Lynch as very convincing and effortless performances.

Love Happens is a movie about a young widower who delivers seminars to other bereaved people to help them to get on with their lives. He succeeds very well with them but not very well with his own grief, which is buried in hustle and bustle and whirlwind tours. His handlers are trying to squeeze every ounce of money they can out of his superstar status and he goes along with this but only with passing interest. Aaron Eckhart is the superstar of the bereaved who runs into hotel rooms grinning broadly as he bounds up onto the stage to deliver his inspirational message. He is a household name but under it all, he is a lonely guy who never really made the transition from the grieving widower to some semblance of normality, even after three years. Jennifer Aniston is a florist in Seattle who happens to be in a hotel when he gives one of his motivational shows. The two strike up a relationship that leads to love but her role lacks depth. The far more effective actors are in the supporting roles: Dan Fogler, Martin Sheen and John Carroll Lynch. The three actors give the movie the real punch with Fogler supplying an extra dose of humour. Eckhart has the persona for the leading role and shows the nice guy he really is under the trappings of the showman. John Carroll Lynch gives a great performance as a bereaved parent, who at first is reluctant to even try to help himself. Martin Sheen is the father in law who sees through the charade. Sheen is a great actor who has taken on so many roles over the years and whose life is more about the man than the celebrity; he makes this role all the more believable. I was pleasantly surprised by this movie and recommend it.

I wasn't eager to see it as the title alone left little to the imagination and neither did the story. It was contrived and boring, Aniston's character was so flat and blah I couldn't believe it there was no depth or personality in the character yet it seemed as though she could have done something with the character but perhaps found herself as bored as I was watching it and therefore just slept through the filming. There was absolutely NO chemistry between she and Eckhart although to his credit he did a good job (in a story which although intending to be about two people falling in love ends up being nothing of the kind and instead revolves around the loss of a spouse) but even then he could never have been good enough to save the film. It was actually painful and pointless with useless scenes like the introduction of Aniston's mother (and this wasn't edited out why?)as well as showing a band that I've never heard of who's music basically sucked. Even when they had a chance of at least getting the viewing audience interested by having some great tunes they failed. And wasn't sure the point of that scene either. It appeared as if perhaps there was an earlier scene which would lead them to this particular band or something along those lines but if there was it was one of the few things they did cut that may have actually been able to help understand this unbelievably boring film) so I was unsure of the point of this as well. Yes it's a romantic gesture to take someone to see a band even without having obtained tickets but again, it was just dropped in there like the rest of the films lackluster moments. As a writer myself I often wonder "what the hell were they thinking?" and it is in that one in only way that it didn't fail to disappoint. The only character that was worth watching was that of Walter played perfectly by John Carroll Lynch who as usual gives an outstanding performance. However, once again Hollywood took a perfectly romantic idea, and then does absolutely nothing with it. Love Happens to be the most boring worthless attempt at a romantic comedy I've seen in some time, a tragedy? Absolutely, but I'm afraid not on purpose.