Skip to main content

Purple Hearts: Review

 2022. PG-13. 122 mins. Directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum

Purple Hearts follows Cassie (Sofia Carson), an up-and-coming singer/song writer who is also struggling with diabetes. It's getting to the point where her insurance won't cover her medication anymore and she can't afford it on her own. While at her day job at a local bar she runs into an old friend who is there with his Marine friends. She instantly has an issue with one of the friends named Luke (Nicholas Galitzine), who is also struggling with his own problems. He's a recovering drug addict and is in debt with his old dealer for a large amount of money. Despite being on opposite sides of the political spectrum and not getting along in any way, shape or form they come to an agreement where they will get married so they can take advantage of the healthcare for Cassie's medication and Luke will make more money so he can pay off his debt. All seems well enough until a tragedy interrupts their lives.

Over the last few years Netflix has put a lot of time into producing a plethora or romantic comedies and romantic dramas. The biggest problem is they are churning these out what feels like a couple times a month and they all are either rushed or are so by the numbers that it's hard to tell them apart. Purple Hearts, unfortunately, is no different and falls into the category of a low-grade romantic drama. This is the perfect example of a movie just not being able to execute on anything. Every scene feels hollow and there are hardly any moments that feel earned. It tries to pull at your heart strings in just about every scene and by the end of this two hour and two-minute movie it is more than tiresome.

When you're putting together a romantic movie it helps when you have leads that at the very least have good chemistry together. There is no chemistry to be found anywhere. Both Sofia Carson and Nicholas Galitzine are flat in their performances, and not once do they ever give off a feeling where you would think they could end up together. The movie itself even sets up their personalities where they dislike each other so much that there is nothing that would ever make them turn around and start liking one another. Throw in some pacing issues and this feeling like it is a lot longer than its two-hour run time and you've got all the makings of a poorly put together movie.

The few positives the movie does have are too few and far between. Linden Ashby who plays Luke's father gives unquestionably the best performance in the movie. He's not in it enough but when he is there is at least a stronger acting presence. Also Chosen Jacobs who plays Cassie's old friend gives a solid performance as well adding some charisma that the two leads are sorely missing. There are some decent musical performances from Cassie and her band that add a little something here and there. It would have been nice to see more of that energy in Sofia Carson's performance but sadly we do not.

All in all, Purple Hearts is a weak attempt at showcasing two individuals setting aside their differences to come together to better their lives. While the story is actually an interesting idea the movie is brought down by the lack of chemistry between the two leads. The performances, with the exceptions of Ashby and Jacobs, are all lackluster and the movie never feels genuine in any way.

Rating: 3/10

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Time Cut (2024) | Review

  2024. PG-13. 90 mins. Directed by Hannah Macpherson Plot:  High school student accidentally travels back to 2003 and decides to stop the serial killer who murdered her sister. Grade: D-

Ricky Stanicky (2024) | Review

  2024. R. 113 mins. Directed by Peter Farrelly Three childhood best friends; Dean (Zac Efron), JT (Andrew Santino) and Wes (Jermaine Fowler) pull a prank on Halloween that doesn't go as planned. To get out of trouble they create an imaginary kid named Ricky Stanicky that takes the fall for their wrongdoings. Over the next twenty years, the boys use Ricky as a scapegoat anytime they do something wrong or want to get out of something. When their families want to invite Ricky to a party the guys must figure out whether to tell the truth or do something drastic. They end up going the drastic route by hiring an entertainer they met in Atlantic City named Rod (John Cena), who just so happens to also be a trained actor. Director Peter Farrelly has had a long history of making comedies. Some have been hilarious, like Dumb and Dumber and There's Something About Mary, while others have missed the mark entirely, like The Heartbreak Kid and Dumber and Dumber To. Ricky Stanicky falls somew...

Anora (2024) | Review

  2024 | R | 139 mins | Directed by Sean Baker Plot:  A young escort from Brooklyn meets and impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairy tale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. Grade: A