I have always been leery of stellar cast movies that are usually so thin plot-wise, with the bulk of the budget probably allocated to the salaries of its stars. "Valentine's Day" shamelessly borrows from "Love, Actually", a movie about young and old folks whose love lives intertwine and come together but instead of on Christmas Day, everything happens on Valentine's Day.
Another warning sign that a movie is desperate is when they still tout its director Garry Marshall as the one behind "Pretty Woman"—a movie released in 1990—when he's directed nine other movies in between.
And yet, I trooped to the theater a day before V Day with a galpal with the secret wish to be proved wrong, because I like some of these stars and I want to see them succeed.
There's careerist Morley Clarkson (Jessica Alba), florist Reed Bennett (Ashton Kutcher)'s girlfriend. Reed divulges his proposal plans to his bestfriend Alphonso (George Lopez), who is lukewarm about it. Reed's bestfriend is grade school teacher Julia Fitzpatrick (Jennifer Garner), who is also not so hot about the grand engagement but is too busy dating the dreamy Dr. Harrison Copeland (Patrick Dempsey) to involve herself.
Meanwhile, sports reporter Kelvin Moore (Jamie Foxx) is forced to do a lifestyle piece on Valentine's Day by his producer Susan (Kathy Bates) and interviews the love struck Reed, as well as high school sweethearts Willy (Taylor Lautner) and Felicia (Taylor Swift). Steamy football star Sean Jackson (Eric Dane) is in a career limbo and tries to set things straight with the help of his public relations agent Kara Monahan (Jessica Biel), who is an emotional wreck after seeing that no one is going to her annual Anti-Valentine's Day party. Office messenger Jason (Topher Grace) just started dating the mysterious new office temp Liz (Anne Hathaway), who is trying to balance working for Paula Thomas (Queen Latifah) and moonlighting as a Naughty Nympho. On a plane ride home are Holden (Bradley Cooper), who tries to get his seatmate Captain Kate Hazeltine (Julia Roberts) to warm up to him by asking her if she has a special guy back home.
There is also kiddie drama in the world of Edison (Bryce Robinson), Ms. Fitzpatrick's student and Reed's customer. Edison's babysitter Grace (Emma Roberts) and her boyfriend Alex (Carter Jenkins) have planned their first time to have sex during their lunch break but not without the likely snag! She confesses her troubles to her grandma Estelle (Shirley MacLaine) and grandpa Edgar (Hector Elizondo), who have their own revelations to deal with despite their 51 years of marriage.
Alas, it all unravels in abominable cheesy fashion, as expected, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. With a cast this big, don't expect time for character development, but it did have its priceless moments (all thanks to Hathaway, Dane and Cooper). I believe it was also because I saw it in a theater full of people who wanted to have a good time. During the gay parts, especially, you could hear shrieks of delight from the gay group sitting up front and that made it funnier.
Another warning sign that a movie is desperate is when they still tout its director Garry Marshall as the one behind "Pretty Woman"—a movie released in 1990—when he's directed nine other movies in between.
And yet, I trooped to the theater a day before V Day with a galpal with the secret wish to be proved wrong, because I like some of these stars and I want to see them succeed.
There's careerist Morley Clarkson (Jessica Alba), florist Reed Bennett (Ashton Kutcher)'s girlfriend. Reed divulges his proposal plans to his bestfriend Alphonso (George Lopez), who is lukewarm about it. Reed's bestfriend is grade school teacher Julia Fitzpatrick (Jennifer Garner), who is also not so hot about the grand engagement but is too busy dating the dreamy Dr. Harrison Copeland (Patrick Dempsey) to involve herself.
Meanwhile, sports reporter Kelvin Moore (Jamie Foxx) is forced to do a lifestyle piece on Valentine's Day by his producer Susan (Kathy Bates) and interviews the love struck Reed, as well as high school sweethearts Willy (Taylor Lautner) and Felicia (Taylor Swift). Steamy football star Sean Jackson (Eric Dane) is in a career limbo and tries to set things straight with the help of his public relations agent Kara Monahan (Jessica Biel), who is an emotional wreck after seeing that no one is going to her annual Anti-Valentine's Day party. Office messenger Jason (Topher Grace) just started dating the mysterious new office temp Liz (Anne Hathaway), who is trying to balance working for Paula Thomas (Queen Latifah) and moonlighting as a Naughty Nympho. On a plane ride home are Holden (Bradley Cooper), who tries to get his seatmate Captain Kate Hazeltine (Julia Roberts) to warm up to him by asking her if she has a special guy back home.
There is also kiddie drama in the world of Edison (Bryce Robinson), Ms. Fitzpatrick's student and Reed's customer. Edison's babysitter Grace (Emma Roberts) and her boyfriend Alex (Carter Jenkins) have planned their first time to have sex during their lunch break but not without the likely snag! She confesses her troubles to her grandma Estelle (Shirley MacLaine) and grandpa Edgar (Hector Elizondo), who have their own revelations to deal with despite their 51 years of marriage.
Alas, it all unravels in abominable cheesy fashion, as expected, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. With a cast this big, don't expect time for character development, but it did have its priceless moments (all thanks to Hathaway, Dane and Cooper). I believe it was also because I saw it in a theater full of people who wanted to have a good time. During the gay parts, especially, you could hear shrieks of delight from the gay group sitting up front and that made it funnier.