2 Hearts
2 Hearts
Starring Jacob Elordi, Tiera Skovbye, Adan Canto, Radha Mitchell
Directed by Lance Hool
Starring Jacob Elordi, Tiera Skovbye, Adan Canto, Radha Mitchell
Directed by Lance Hool
I remember a meme during the "Fifty Shades" craze that said basically if Christian Grey was an overweight middle-aged balding man living in a trailer had done the things that the original Christian Grey did, he would be in prison and no girl would fall in love with that type of thing, but since he is a hunky, attractive, wealthy man, then he could do whatever he wanted to women and they'd love him for it. It's probably a bit of a over simplification, but I can't help but wonder if its more accurate than not due to the insurmountable amount of romantic dramas that are in theaters and television that stars the most attractive, well-built, perfect actors and actresses to play these roles, and expect us to actually feel for them. Maybe if the film had cast regular looking people for the roles, we'd be more invested in them - or maybe I'm just a jaded old fool. In any event, what I first thought would be another gag-inducing Hallmark-wannabe turned into an actually semi-decent surprise, even if it's extremely forced.
Taking place between two different couples in two different timelines, "2 Hearts" manages to bring them both together in an ultimately non-surprising way, especially for anyone who has even an ounce of movie knowledge. Jorge (Adan Canto) is the son of a successful rum-making business, but also had a surgery at a young age where he lost a part of his lungs, making it difficult for him to breathe. On one trip to America, he meets Pan-Am stewardess Leslie (Radha Mitchell), and the two hit it off right away. After a whirlwind romance, the two marry and want to start to life together, but Jorge's growing troubling medical condition threatens that future.
Meanwhile, Chris (Jacob Elordi) is a goofy hunky freshman in college, where he meets Sam (Tiera Skovbye), and instantly falls for her hard. The two forge a friendship and eventual relationship, but this relationship as well is threatened by a medical condition Chris has that seemingly has no possible cure, and the only thing they can hope for is a miracle.
The first part of the film occurs in the natural progression of your generalized romantic drama, as the couples are introduced, we're supposed to feel something for them, and they're supposed to be in love. So far, so good in the most generalized sense. Then things take a drastic turn for the worse for both couples, which then finally makes the movie a bit more interesting, ultimately leading to a conclusion that's as ham-fisted as it is emotional, shedding light on the importance of organ donation, which was the main thrust of the film all along, since it was based on a true story.
Up until that halfway mark, the film is barely passable as something you'd expect to find on the Hallmark Channel if it was set during the holidays. Two good-looking couples who have everything going for them in every sense of the word fall in love with relative ease, which again I couldn't help but wonder if the casting was different. Jorge followed Leslie as she flies around the world, meeting in unexpected situations, and I thought if Jorge was an overweight balding man, Leslie would've called the cops instead of thinking it was romantic. Likewise, if Chris was a pudgy pimple-faced guy then Sam would think he was creepy and never fall in love with him. The whole film was way too wholesome and picture perfect at first.
Then the big dramatic moment occurs, which feels cheapened and basically manipulative, as the audience is led into a false sense of security that everything is alright before the rug is pulled out from under us. While this is supposed to incite a tear-filled emotional response, it didn't receive the desired effect, at least from me - but I did feel my eyes well up a little. If it wasn't for the important message the film told at the end, it would've been a total washout.
The performances didn't give the film any favors, as everyone is extremely one-dimensional and you never felt any true connection between the couples. Adan Canto and Radha Mitchell give off the most convincing performances, and are given the more emotional moments together, which makes sense because they're the two more seasoned actors the film offers. Jacob Elordi (from "The Kissing Booth" and "Euphoria") and Tiera Skovbye (from "Riverdale") are the more generic good-looking youngsters falling in love with one another because they're both beautiful people, who don't offer any emotional weight and whose romance (as it's so called) felt flat and uninspired. Surprisingly, neither character really becomes developed enough for the audience to feel for them, and neither really has any depth to their roles, in a film that's almost two hours long we know as much about Chris and Sam at the end then we did at the beginning - nothing more than vapid actors masked behind a beautiful set dressing.
While the film does shed light on the importance on organ donation and helping others, "2 Hearts" doesn't ultimately have its heart in the right place, replacing honest human emotions with manipulative tactics meant to force us to shed a tear.
The Score: C-
Taking place between two different couples in two different timelines, "2 Hearts" manages to bring them both together in an ultimately non-surprising way, especially for anyone who has even an ounce of movie knowledge. Jorge (Adan Canto) is the son of a successful rum-making business, but also had a surgery at a young age where he lost a part of his lungs, making it difficult for him to breathe. On one trip to America, he meets Pan-Am stewardess Leslie (Radha Mitchell), and the two hit it off right away. After a whirlwind romance, the two marry and want to start to life together, but Jorge's growing troubling medical condition threatens that future.
Meanwhile, Chris (Jacob Elordi) is a goofy hunky freshman in college, where he meets Sam (Tiera Skovbye), and instantly falls for her hard. The two forge a friendship and eventual relationship, but this relationship as well is threatened by a medical condition Chris has that seemingly has no possible cure, and the only thing they can hope for is a miracle.
The first part of the film occurs in the natural progression of your generalized romantic drama, as the couples are introduced, we're supposed to feel something for them, and they're supposed to be in love. So far, so good in the most generalized sense. Then things take a drastic turn for the worse for both couples, which then finally makes the movie a bit more interesting, ultimately leading to a conclusion that's as ham-fisted as it is emotional, shedding light on the importance of organ donation, which was the main thrust of the film all along, since it was based on a true story.
Up until that halfway mark, the film is barely passable as something you'd expect to find on the Hallmark Channel if it was set during the holidays. Two good-looking couples who have everything going for them in every sense of the word fall in love with relative ease, which again I couldn't help but wonder if the casting was different. Jorge followed Leslie as she flies around the world, meeting in unexpected situations, and I thought if Jorge was an overweight balding man, Leslie would've called the cops instead of thinking it was romantic. Likewise, if Chris was a pudgy pimple-faced guy then Sam would think he was creepy and never fall in love with him. The whole film was way too wholesome and picture perfect at first.
Then the big dramatic moment occurs, which feels cheapened and basically manipulative, as the audience is led into a false sense of security that everything is alright before the rug is pulled out from under us. While this is supposed to incite a tear-filled emotional response, it didn't receive the desired effect, at least from me - but I did feel my eyes well up a little. If it wasn't for the important message the film told at the end, it would've been a total washout.
The performances didn't give the film any favors, as everyone is extremely one-dimensional and you never felt any true connection between the couples. Adan Canto and Radha Mitchell give off the most convincing performances, and are given the more emotional moments together, which makes sense because they're the two more seasoned actors the film offers. Jacob Elordi (from "The Kissing Booth" and "Euphoria") and Tiera Skovbye (from "Riverdale") are the more generic good-looking youngsters falling in love with one another because they're both beautiful people, who don't offer any emotional weight and whose romance (as it's so called) felt flat and uninspired. Surprisingly, neither character really becomes developed enough for the audience to feel for them, and neither really has any depth to their roles, in a film that's almost two hours long we know as much about Chris and Sam at the end then we did at the beginning - nothing more than vapid actors masked behind a beautiful set dressing.
While the film does shed light on the importance on organ donation and helping others, "2 Hearts" doesn't ultimately have its heart in the right place, replacing honest human emotions with manipulative tactics meant to force us to shed a tear.
The Score: C-
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