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I Hate Valentine's DayClaudia PuigI Hate Valentine's Day is about as subtle as its in-your-face title. Nia Vardalos wrote, directed and stars in this clunky, unfunny and plodding mess. She doesn't write dialogue, she writes shtick. Her direction seems awkward and amateurish, her acting is more like mugging. I Hate Valentine's Day is subpar, even by the most mediocre standards. John Corbett co-stars as her love interest, as he did in the 2002 hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Clearly, someone who works as hard to be flirtatious and adorable as Vardalos needs a low-key presence with no potential for scenery-chewing.. Unfortunately for him, Corbett is the victim. Vardalos has no sense of pacing. Scenes drag on and characters sometimes just stare into the camera or at each other, wordless, to no dramatic or comic effect. The supporting characters are a notch better, but are given little to do. It's pretty much all Nia, all the time in this ultra-predictable tale. Genevieve (Vardalos) is a perky Brooklyn florist who has what she believes is a can't-lose formula for romance. Limit the dalliance to a fun five dates, then no one gets hurt. Bragging that she's "always happy," her chirpy vivacity can be hard to stomach. Of course, as anyone could guess, things get complicated when she meets Greg (Corbett), portrayed as a pretty ideal guy. Ever-grinning and bright-eyed, Vardalos seems to be taking happy pills. She is like the character in Happy Go Lucky without the depth. She fares better and seems more believable when she tones the sunshine down and lets her peppy smile edge toward a sneer. But the story is virtually laugh-free and adheres slavishly to the rom-com formula of girl meets boy, girl loses boy, girl reconnects with boy. This is probably the year's worst romantic comedy - and that's saying something in a year that includes Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Whatever Works. ?? Copyright 2009 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. |
