Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Love Happens Blu-ray Movie Review

Wake me when it's over...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown January 31, 2010

Romantic dramas are quickly becoming games of cinematic Mad Libs, and Love Happens, while more playful than others, doesn't do much to change that. It's simply an exercise in filling in the blanks. Male lead's aversions? Flying, elevators, and heartache. Ironic career path? Self-help author and motivational speaker. Emotional crutches? Vodka, rosy platitudes, and quotes from his own book. Dramatic gut punch? His wife died in a car accident. Convenient passage of time since tragedy? Three years. His spirited love interest's hangups? Trusting men, falling for bad boys, and plucking ridiculous words out of the dictionary. Reason she's inevitably drawn to him? His cheesy yet unrelenting pursuit. Her obligatory roommate's quirks? Feminist rhetoric and empowerment poetry. And so it goes, and so it goes. Frankly, I'm surprised he isn't a single father and she isn't the distraught owner of a cancer-stricken golden retriever. I know, I know, it's a harmless helping of genre leftovers. But it's so formulaic, so derivative, so utterly forgettable that I couldn't help but gag a little.

No, good sir. Everything is not A-OK.

When self-help author Dr. Burke Ryan (Aaron Eckhart) arrives in Seattle to teach a sold-out seminar, he unexpectedly meets florist Eloise Chandler (Jennifer Aniston), the one person who might be able to help him help himself. But will two people who may have met the right person at exactly the wrong time be able to give love a chance? If they can, they’ll find that sometimes, when you least expect it…love happens. If that slippery gem of a synopsis turned your stomach, just wait till you see the flick. Stalling out long before tear-jerking revelations and disjointed bits of comedy begin to infect the very soul of Love Happens, the plot is mere window dressing. Ryan is clearly hiding something -- a vague confrontation with his former father-in-law (Martin Sheen) confirms as much -- but his secret is an anticlimactic ball-drop. It's also obvious that he has serious doubts about the message behind his easy-peasy self-help sermons, but even that shows itself to be a hollow tease. Turns out the good doctor is a good doctor, coming to the aid of his seminar's attendants with a genuine desire to guide them through their individual crises. Sure, making Ryan a smarmy snake oil salesman would have been far more interesting, but writer/director Brandon Camp doesn't seem concerned with such complexities. And Eloise? Sadly, the only thing that sets her apart from her genre sisters is that she doesn't get upset when she realizes the doc's lying.

Their romance (and his subsequent quest for closure) is just as insignificant. Ryan's attraction to Eloise is never explained, her sudden turnaround is shaky at best, and their coupling defies all odds. Worse, he spits out clichés but still manages to connect with people, and she serves up sugar-heaped honesty without dealing with her own issues (most of which conveniently disappear after fifteen minutes). The pair never come across as believable human beings, much less a believable couple. Birthed from a screenwriter's pen, their dialogue, motivations, personalities, mannerisms, and philosophies stem from the page rather than the heart. And while Eckhart and Aniston desperately fight to free their characters from convention, they also lack the on-screen chemistry and innate compatibility that would allow them to do just that. Without a sharp edge or a scarred face, Eckhart is neutered by Camp and co-writer Mike Thompson's wince-inducing metaphors and sappy lectures. Some darker emotional turf briefly gives his performance some traction, but slick sentimentality soon spoils whatever nuance the once-and-future Harvey Dent is able to bring to the proceedings. Likewise, without the sass or wit her character so desperately needs (beyond what she briefly flashes in her first three scenes), Aniston is forced to reluctantly embrace one of the most watery romancees she's tackled in her career. I can't tell you how many times I had the urge to fast-forward.

Thankfully, Love Happens has a talented supporting cast waiting in the wings, ever eager to sweep in and save the film from bargain bin exile. Funnyman Dan Fogler steals entire scenes, if not the entire movie, from his A-list castmates with a restrained, funny, and truthful performance worthy of a starring role. Had his character been at the center of Camp and Thompson's tale, I have a feeling I'd be writing a very different review. Elsewhere, the imposing yet lovable John Carroll Lynch is just as magnetic playing a father dealing with the death of his young son. I teared up a bit every time the camera pushed in on his face, not because of the heartstrings Camp and Thompson were so haphazardly strumming, but because he was so invested in Walter's pain, so devastated by every word that came out of his mouth that I couldn't help but feel tremendous empathy for the man. Even Sheen, who shows up for just five scenes, connects on every level, overcoming the rote nature of his lines and giving Eckhart a decent sparring partner. If only the rest of the film were as memorable. Subplots come and go with no explanation or exploration, the tone is in a constant state of flux, the romance is devoid of romance, and the script is nearly unbearable at times. I'd like to say genre junkies will find something to love in the banal depths of Love Happens, but the majority will shrug their shoulders and move on to meatier fare. Abandon all hope ye who enter here.

Love Happens Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Despite some minor inconsistencies, Love Happens boasts an attractive 1080p/VC-1 transfer that stands shoulder to shoulder with other warmly lit, sunny-side-up romances. Look no further than Eloise's flower shop for everything that makes the presentation strong. Rich, vibrant colors, exceedingly healthy skintones, deep blacks, and crisp fine detailing abound. Errant petals have been meticulously rendered, the knickknacks that dot her work space are naturally textured, and depth is convincing. These qualities extend throughout the whole of the film, imbuing the mahogany charm of Dr. Ryan's upscale hotel and the chilly breeze of his outdoor excursion with the same striking strength and stability. Moreover, the technical image isn't hindered by artifacting, noise, edge enhancement, aliasing, DNR, or other pesky nuisances, and crush is kept to a manageable minimum, only affecting the inky confines of Ryan's seminars. A handful of faces are oversaturated, a few CG inserts stand out, and detail occasionally softens, but each instance can be traced back to DoP Eric Alan Edwards' intentions. All things considered, Love Happens offers a competent, able-bodied transfer that should appeal to genre fans of all stripes.

Love Happens Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Universal's faithful DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is often as predictable as the film itself, but it manages to elevate Camp's at-times two-dimensional sound design and deliver a satisfying sonic experience. Dialogue, be it over a microphone in a large meeting hall or muttered in a cramped conference room, is fit and intelligible, prioritization never misses a step, and directional effects, limited as they may be, are polished and precise. The rear speakers are mainly tasked with supporting Christopher Young's on-again, off-again score, but they also employ subdued environmental ambience and enveloping acoustic subtleties to great effect, crafting a soundfield that's a bit more immersive than those offered by most romantic dramas. Similarly, LFE output is rarely given enough room to work its magic, but nevertheless lends palpable weight and presence to the soundscape. Factor in slip-shift pans, impeccable normalization, and notable separation and you have a track that surpasses its humble roots to provide filmfans with a capable, if not engaging presentation.

Love Happens Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray edition of Love Happens includes an underwhelming batch of special features, none of which add much value to the release. Director/co-writer Brandon Camp, producer/co-writer Mike Thompson, and executive producer Richard Solomon kick off the disc's supplemental mediocrity with an unexpectedly dry group commentary; one in which the tepid trio focus on the lenses, locations, and look of the film, but rarely dig into the story, its characters, or the actors' individual contributions. While they do eventually get around to it all, their monotone delivery and plodding anecdotes have taken quite a toll. From there, six deleted scenes (HD, 13 minutes) amount to a wisely cut misfires and a featurette titled "Giving Romance a New Look" (HD, 3 minutes) offers little more than a glimpse at the CG-enhanced shots that appear throughout the film.

Love Happens Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Although I'm inclined to agree with the film's premise -- love does just happen -- Love Happens fails to make a convincing argument. With a sketchy story, contrived characters, and manufactured heartstrings, it barely brings its romantic leads together, much less resolve their personal issues. Universal's Blu-ray release is better, but doesn't grant fans much replay value. While it includes an excellent video transfer and an admirable DTS-HD Master Audio track, its supplemental package is unfulfilling, aimless, and tiresome. I'm sure some will enjoy Love Happens' pedestrian romance and shallow special features, but I found the film's AV presentation to be its only saving grace.