- LOVE HURTS
- Starring: Ke Huy Quan, Josh Stoddard and Ariana DeBose
- Directed by: Jonathan Eusabio
- Rated: R
- Running time: 1 hr 23 mins
- Universal
- Our Score: 3 out of 5
With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend I’m reminded of a question that is usually reserved the game’s MVP: “Hey Ke Huy Quan, you just won the Academy Award. What are you going to do now?” However, instead of proclaiming he’s going to Disney World, Quan declares, “I’m going to make an uneven action film.”
Valentine’s Day. As a mysterious woman spends the morning defacing the many bus benches and yard signs featuring real estate agent Marvin Gable (Quan). Meanwhile, Marvin is doing his best to sell his most recent house, repeating his mantra for prospective buyers, “I want a home for you.” Returning to work, Marvin is stunned to learn that he has received a prestigious award for his realtor skills. It’s a pretty good day for Marvin. Except, of course, for the assassin hiding in his office.
Full of fun martial art battles, but not much else, “Love Hurts” seems to be a film that was hurried to theatres to capitalize on both Valentine’s Day and the fact that the cast includes a pair of recent Oscar winners (Ms. DeBose won hers a couple of years ago for “West Side Story.”) While the action scenes are top notch – first time director Eusabio did a lot of stunt work for films like “The Fall Guy” and the “John Wick” series), the story is fragmented. With a run time of only 83 minutes, including credits, it feels like there is more to the story that is missing.
That being said, the film boasts a strong cast. If you’ve ever seen an interview with Quan, you know that he is a very likable person, and that personality fits Marvin to a tee. Marvin has done his best to distance himself from his past, but even nice guys have bad days! The rest of the cast play to their strengths as well, with a special mention to Sean Astin, who gives his character a true humanistic heart.
Overall, the film is enjoyable, but I can’t help but wonder about what it could have been.
On a scale of zero to five I give “Love Hurts” ★★★