Valentine's Day -

Valentine’s Day

With a title like Valentine’s Day, you know you are not in for anything heavy. In fact you might balk at the thought of a sugary, sweet confection of a story wrapped up in roses and love. Well, it is a love story and it’s also a not-in-love story that has sharp twists and turns and isn’t too predictable. Well maybe yes it is.

It’s great to watch as the overall impression of the work may reminds you of the “look” of “Pretty Woman.” That would be an accurate comparison as Gary Marshall directed both.

There is an A-List of stars that includes Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Hector Elizando, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher ,Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine. Then there are Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts, and Taylor Swift. It’s a good thing the aforementioned can sing as in this piece she has no clue how to act.

Among this crowd there are numerous love lines with Kutcher and Garner playing in the center of this circle of love that delivers, disappointment, frustration, demands, secrets, unmet expectations, emotional reversals and in some corner love swirling around. The players experience some, a lot and even all of the above emotions during the course of Valentines’ Day.

One interesting ecological tip: the production was one of the first in the industry to become a “green set” during the filming. That meant whenever they could eliminate unnecessary waste, they did so. To cut down from swimming in a cloud of water bottles, crew and cast members received their own stainless steel water bottle. Solar powered lighting was employed when possible and hybrid or clean diesel vehicles were used as well as biodegradable plates and utensils were placed with craft services.

The Valentine holiday can be wonderful, miserable, exciting or disappointing, but its seldom ordinary. Often there is a surprise during those important hours. And yes a huge disappointment may be lurking somewhere.

Enjoy the LA locations and if your Valentine’s plans are still in limbo, head for the theater before, during and even after this celebration. There’s something in this mix for almost everyone.

P.S. Ladies: It’ not too difficult to watch Ashton Kutcher whirl around in his bright pink shirt.