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LOVE HAPPENS |
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Aaron Eckhart has an interesting track record. He was, in my estimation, brilliant in the 2005 flick "Thank You For Smoking" in which he
played a tobacco lobbyist. Then he has his role in "Dark Knight" as Harvey Dent aka Two-Face which [to me] was a wash. Jennifer Aniston to some is a hot babe. I grant that she doesn't look bad for a 40-year old... but hot? She just doesn't do anything for me.
I mean, I guess if she was lying naked with her arms outstretched inviting me for a roll in the hay, I might be moved... perhaps. But on the screen she just doesn't do it. As an aside,
Goldie Hawn, Julia Roberts and Michelle Pfeiffer are still hot! Director Bandon Camp decided to team an actor with a spotty record with an actress with no silver screen presence and came up with "Love Happens".
We'll forgive him, it's his first time helming a film. |
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Eckhart plays Burke, a motivational speaker and author of a best selling book called "A Okay". It and he deal with
people grieving from the death of a loved one. He helps them move on with their life. He is managed by Lane (Dan Fogler) who is thisclose to getting Time Warner to spending big bucks on a new
TV show and branding paraphernalia - games and even a diet plan. Burke is an expert at recovering from a loss because his loving wife died in a car accident three years prior. Aniston is Eloise, the owner of a flower shop who encounters Burtke while changing
flowers in the hotel where he is staying. The film is centered in Seattle; where his wife was killed. |
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They get together after she dumps her musician boyfriend who was cheating on her with an anonymous groupie. Burke and Eloise date a couple of times during his stay and they get closer. Meanwhile Burke is helping participants in a seminar including a stubborn guy named Walter (John Carroll Lynch)
who is grieving over the death of his 9-year old son. These are the best scenes in the film. Burke is also ducking from his former in-laws - specifically his wife's dad (Martin Sheen) who seems to have a grudge
against him. Yada, yada, yada... everyone shares feelings, Eloise shares, Walter shares, the dad shares, the parrot shares. Unfortunately there is absolutely no screen magic between Eckhart and Aniston. NONE "Love Happens" even with it's predictability might have been a decent film, had it not been for the leads. There is not twinkle like Meg Ryan had
for that moment with Tom Hanks and any of their films. There is no Bogie and Becall. There is no Gere and Roberts. "Love Happens" just happens. Too bad. --GEOFFREY BURTON
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