“Valentine’s Day” is one of those easily predictable movies. It is just way too categorized and calculated to be anything other than what its cast, plot and posters suggest it to be. The master of romantic flicks, director Garry Marshall (“Pretty Woman,” “Runaway Bride” and “Princess Diaries” among others) used the simplest winning formula for his latest creation.
He took a mind-blowing number of mainstream Hollywood stars and had them act out intertwining romance stories timed for the popular lovers’ holiday. In this case, the movie is not only taking place in time for Valentine’s Day – it’s also the name of the flick, so that viewers make no mistake about what they should go see on Feb. 14. The all-star cast includes Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner, Patrick Dempsey, Jessica Alba, Queen Latifah, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway and Bradley Cooper. Movie legend Shirley MacLaine is in there; so is America’s newest singing sensation, Taylor Swift, who is making her big-screen debut. And that’s far from being the end of it. The story is centered on florist Reed (Kutcher in probably his cheesiest role) and his friend Julia (Garner), who is in love with a doctor (Dempsey). Flower-man Reed proposes to his girlfriend (Alba), publicist Jessica Biel prepares an “I Hate Valentine’s Day” party, receptionist (Hathaway) stars a romance with her co-worker (Topher Grace), an army captain (Roberts) meets a pleasant seatmate (Cooper) on her flight home. And so on. Overall, the film may seem like a collection of Hallmark cards – never too deep and never too funny. But if you enjoy a light movie with loads of celebrities, passionate lip locks, sweet reunions and fateful encounters that only ever happen in films, “Valentine’s Day” is certainly your thing. Another good reason to see it is that it may be the only romantic movie showing in English on Feb. 14.
Butterfly Ultramarine
1A Uritskoho, 206-0350, 206-0370,
www.kino-butterfly.com.ua. From Feb. 11. In English with Ukrainian subtitles.
