Synopsis: In I Hate Valentine’s Day, a Florist and a Restaurant Owner decide to only date casually, but nothing turns out the way they planned.
Release Date: July 3, 2009 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Comedy, Romance
Film Review
Production
I Hate Valentine’s Day is a cute story about finding the love of your life when you least expect it or desire. It deals with the awkwardness of dating and the expectations that come along with it in a very true to life form. Humor is found throughout I Hate Valentine’s Day as it develops into more of just another love story and becomes a thorough examination of why we have the relationships we do, and how to move past the barriers we set for ourselves and let someone into our life.
Acting
Nia Vardalos (Genevieve) comes across for most of I Hate Valentine’s Day as a self-help relationship therapist who is full of way too much happiness to be real. The fake persona she displays is very hard to take as you want to see something deeper and more genuine from the character. It is not until the third act of I Hate Valentine’s Day that she resonates as a character who is likable and part of a reality we all belong. As for John Corbett as Greg, he is merely the everyday man who is short on knowledge with how to deal with women. He mostly appears as a hopeless student for Genevieve but eventually grows into a leading man worth watching.
The rest of the cast have their moments but they fail to really offer anything to the story at large. They act as more of a buffer between the scenes with Genevieve and Greg, and a way for each of them to vent their frustrations, anxieties, or excitement over the romantic entanglement the two find themselves in. The possibility for more lingers with all of them they are just never given the material to work with to make their performances substantial.
Chemistry
The romantic duo of I Hate Valentine’s Day, Genevieve (Vardalos) and Greg (Corbett), display a wonderful chemistry together. The moments they share on screen are full of sweetness and ooze simplicity as if they are not acting at all. It all just comes so naturally to them you cannot help but want the two of them to fall in love.
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Nia Vardalos
- Screenwriter: Nia Vardalos
- Cast: Nia Vardalos (Genevieve Gernier), John Corbett (Greg Gatlin), Stephen Guarino (Bill), Amir Arison (Bob), Zoe Kazan (Tammy Greenwood)
- Editor(s): Steve Edwards
- Cinematographer: Tony Lombardo
- Production Designer(s): Brian Pryzpek
- Casting Director(s): Dara Wishingrad
- Country Of Origin: USA
