MOVIE REVIEW: LOVE HURTS

 

Marvin is a Milwaukee realtor who receives a crimson envelope from Rose, a former partner-in-crime whom he left for dead. He now finds himself thrust back into a world of ruthless hit men and double-crosses that turn his open houses into deadly war zones. Hunted by his brother, a volatile crime lord, Marvin must confront the choices that haunt him and the history he never truly buried.

Director: Jonathan Eusebio

Cast: Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu, Marshawn Lynch, Mustafa Shakir, Lio Tipton, Rhys Darby, André Eriksen, Sean Astin

Release Date: February 7, 2025

Genre: Action, Comedy

Rated R for strong/bloody violence and language throughout.

Runtime: 1h 23m

Review:

Love Hurts boasts a game cast, led by an ever-likeable Ke Huy Quan, and some fun action sequences but the clunky executions keep this action comedy from hitting its mark.  Stunt performer/Assistant Director, Jonathan Eusebio, helms his first film here and he clearly feels much more comfortable during the highly energetic and choregraphed fight sequences, but he struggles to find a cohesive flow and tone outside of those moments.  The film moves at a breakneck pace which should work in its favor, but it doesn’t matter since the characters are written so cartoonishly over the top that you are left wishing Eusebio would just fully embrace the Looney Tunes madness.  Instead, there's far too much time spent on a rather nonsensical love story that never connects the way it should despite Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose best efforts.   André Eriksen and Marshawn Lynch prove to be a better onscreen bouncing off each other with ease as a pair of dim assassins.  Mustafa Shakir and Lio Tipton also bring some fun chemistry together as another, more cerebral, assassin and realtor assistant who finds a weird sort of love connection.  Ke Huy Quan is fully committed in the main role, and he brings his generally likeable onscreen persona to his reformed killer.  Ariana DeBose is oddly stiff here, never nailing the funny cool vibe the character is supposed to exude.  Daniel Wu does what he can in the villain role but there's not much there to work with outside of his perchance for revenge and love of boba tea.  Love Hurts ultimately feels instantly disposable and forgettable once it’s all said and done.

C-

MOVIE REVIEW: EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

 

When an interdimensional rupture unravels reality, an unlikely hero must channel her newfound powers to fight bizarre and bewildering dangers from the multiverse as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Director: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr., James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis

Release Date: March 11, 2022

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated R for some violence, sexual material and language

Runtime: 2h 12m

Review:

Everything Everywhere All At Once is a wildly imaginative bonkers film that will leave you looking at hotdogs and everything bagels in a new way.  Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert direct the film with a freewheeling kind of energy that's infectious and captivating because of the sheer audacity of the entire thing.  This is the type of film that has no problem throwing everything at the audience but the biggest bit of cinematic alchemy is the amount of heart at the center of it all.  A hefty amount of credit for that goes to Michelle Yeoh who anchors the film with a performance that runs the gamut of emotions.  She's entirely committed to the role and rolls with everything her character goes through with incredible ease, displaying the kind of singular talent she is.  She is the beating heart of the film aided by some strong supporting turns from Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, James Hong and Jamie Lee Curtis who is clearly having a ball.  They share incredibly strong chemistry together which makes the insanity on screen easier to digest.  If there is a small complaint, the film is unfettered on every level and probably could have benefited from some trims here and there to make it a more effective film.  Still, Everything Everywhere All At Once stands as a beacon of originality in a sea of diluted ideas. 

A-