Love Happens

Burke (Aaron Eckhart) is a successful self help guru dealing with the lost of his wife in a car accident. He has come to Seattle for a group seminar for people dealing with their own lost. Florist Eloise (Jennifer Aniston) literally runs into him in his hotel. He tries to ask her out but she pretends to be deaf.

As a romance, it fails. Both Aaron and Jennifer are likable actors but they just don't have the chemistry. Add to it the tough subject matter, it's too hard of a place for romance to blossom. As a character growth movie, it had some moments. Aaron is playing a character going thru some tough stuff. But then he does a silly thing like stealing a bird. It just feels stupid to have comedy there.

Let me start by saying that I did not think I would like this movie, but it exceeded my expectations. I think what I liked the most about it, was it was not your typical romance movie. I had heard before seeing it that it was predictable and just like every other "chick flick" but the truth is... it's really not. This movie had a lot of depth, a lot of touching moments and yes, obviously romance. That being said, this movie was more about finding the good in life and forgetting all of the hurt and heart aches then it was about romance, although that aspect of it is in there too. Aaron Eckhart is impossible not to like and quite the eye candy. This movie also had some great songs in it! Overall, definitely not too bad!

Awful waste of time during which not once was I emotionally invested in the characters - it was difficult to exercise empathy when the scenarios were so entirely clichéd, recycled and the characters so predictable, wooden, underdeveloped and devoid of any real charm. I am usually the first to cry and laugh at a good Rom Com and Love Happens only succeeded in making me cringe and pity Jennifer Aniston and wonder what happened between the Break Up and here. She seems to be playing out the romantic tragedies in her own personal life on-screen but to a cliché-ridden script. And, the vast number of product placements were horrifying. To be avoided at all costs, especially for genuine believers of love, like me! The 3 is for all the efforts put into the movie but not for the overall outcome.

I went to a preview of this movie last night with my husband. I was expecting the standard romantic comedy chick flick. Although there are plenty of funny moments in this movie, it has an emotional depth that is very appealing. It also has another really great performance by Aaron Eckhart, who must be one of the most unappreciated actors in the business. I'm no Jennifer Aniston fan, but I have to admit she's a talented actress and not just a celebrity when I see her in a role like this. Judy Greer and Dan Fogler are great in supporting roles.

It's difficult to say much about the plot without giving most of it away. The script is full of the physco-babble you would expect in a movie about a self help guru; sometimes it comes across as intentionally silly, and sometimes it seems to have real meaning. There are small revelations made all the way through the movie that lead up to the final conclusion.

There is also unexpected eye candy in the form of beautiful floral arrangements that contrast well with the gloomy Seattle weather.

I was afraid my 56-year-old husband would complain about driving 45 minutes to see a movie like this on a week night. But he also enjoyed it, and there were no complaints. Most of the people in the theater also seemed to enjoy it, although I have to admit that they didn't laugh as much as we did. Not a "must see", but if you're looking for some good entertainment, you could do far worse.

As a romance story, Love Happens is nothing special, with the spark between Eckhart and Aniston almost non-existent. But as a drama about grief, it's much more interesting, though the blend of both does not always sit easily.