If you’ve seen the trailer for Love Hurts and you think you got the whole film nailed down. No, you do not. This film is a surprising mix of martial arts, action, humor, and romance. The tagline for this film is “No matter how hard you try, you can’t break up with your past.”
This is the first lead role for Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan in a major motion picture. He was a child actor who starred in some iconic films. Ever heard of the movie Goonies or Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom? Yeah, that kid. Well, he’s all grown up and won the 2023 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the film Everything, Everywhere, All At Once. In Love Hurts, his fighting sequences and stunt work are very reminiscent of the great Jackie Chan. But Mr. Quan brings his own tight, silly style and pacing to his fantastic fight scenes.
Love Hurts tells the story of Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan). A short, mild-mannered realtor working in the Milwaukee suburbs. He is the top-selling realtor who works for a kind boss named Cliff (Sean Astin), who is more of a brother than just a boss to Marvin.
On Valentine’s Day, Gable receives a crimson envelope from Rose (also an Oscar winner, Ariana DeBose). She’s a former partner in the crime family that Knuckles (Daniel Wu) runs. Knuckles is Marvin’s older, meaner brother. Marvin lets everyone think that he killed Rose for stealing from the gang, But he lets her go, and he leaves his life of crime to start over as a peaceful man.
Now, Marvin is thrust back into a world of hitmen, such as the stunningly good-looking Raven (Mustafa Shakir), who has the soul of a poet but the talent with knives of a cold assassin. Marvin’s life is filled with double-crosses and open houses that have turned into war zones. With Knuckles hunting him and Rose, Marvin must confront the choices that haunt him in the life he has never truly buried.
Love Hurts is Jonathan Eusebio’s film directorial debut. He has over 80 films to his name as a stunt coordinator, and all that talent shows in this film. But he also has an excellent eye for bringing out the absurdity in a situation. Also, the man can do romance, with little nods to films like 1986’s Pretty in Pink thrown in for good measure. He was smart enough to put together a great soundtrack to go along with all this fast action and romance. I think he’s got a hit on his hands with this one. And I can’t wait to see what he does next.
I give Love Hurts 4.5 stars. It’s the best of both worlds for a perfect date night. For the partner who loves action and martial arts films, this will satisfy your need for flying fits. For the partner who lives for rom-coms, the flashback to classic romantic film tropes will make them feel warm and fuzzy inside. Now, pass the popcorn and enjoy this film in theaters everywhere.
Directed by: Jonathan Eusebio
Written by: Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard, Luke Passmore
Rated: R
Selig Rating: 4.5 Stars
Running Time: 1 hr 23 min
Action/ Comedy/ Romantic
Release: Wide release in theaters only on February 7th
Starring: Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose, Mustafa Shakir, Lio Tipton, Daniel Wu
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
