“You can bury the past but it always seems to come back, one way or another.” - Tom Franklin
In 1984, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom premiered. He was a precocious, capable, funny and unforgettable sidekick. The very next year it was the same intelligence and quick wit but this time he came with gadgets, lifelong friends and a shared mantra that stated assertively, assuredly, “Goonies never say die!” And then, aside from some roles that never really amounted to much, he disappeared from Hollywood. Roles for Asian actors was not a plentiful source to pick from and so he basically quit. Then after a criminally long hiatus, Everything Everywhere All at Once happened and changed everything, everywhere seemingly all at once. He was back! And now, Love Hurts.
Once nothing more than a sidekick and klutzy nerd, Ke Huy Quan finally takes his rightful place as the hero. He retains the earnestness, he gleams with positivity and aches to be his very best at what his character does for a living. Quan emits these qualities effortlessly, I think because they are him in so many ways. He also utilizes his skills as a stunt choreographer to create thrillingly aggressive fight sequences that are equal parts Jackie Chan, with the usage of random items in defense of himself, and John Wick with an unforgiving side who is a force to be reckoned with. He can demonstrate subtlety and self control but clearly comes with limits and a willingness to realign himself and his world by any means necessary.
Quan plays Marvin, a top notch realtor who genuinely loves his job. “What is hidden in snow, comes forth in the thaw.” For Marvin, that which is hidden is another life he lived that left him empty and without direction or any semblance of morality. He was his brother’s monster, a criminal with a propensity for extreme coercion. Having managed to disappear, Marvin created a whole new life of peace and open houses. And he was finally happy. But with so much left unsettled, his crime lord brother comes back into Marvin’s existence trying to find the one person Marvin ever felt the sting of love for, Rose. The brother wants her dead and Marvin simply cannot allow that to happen. Marvin of old has been awakened. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Quan’s greatest strength here is the ability to toe a line of extreme violence and a strong desire to refrain from such actions. His character wants to sell houses and be the best realtor of the year, an award his loving boss and friend just recently awarded him. The violence he’s capable of is from another life he wants desperately to stay where it is, in the past. Unfortunately for him and anyone challenging him, said past, filled with death and pain, betrayal and loss, is him at his most emphatically, relentlessly brutal, at his most cruel.
As fun as this movie is, it’s borderline overly simplistic. It is as straightforward as it gets. At a brisk, blink-and-you-miss-it pace of roughly eighty minutes, Love Hurts has zero time for fluff. And because of this, the story is rudimentary, running on stereotypes and retreaded story tropes like the most unassuming person in the room is actually the most capable, most prepared and most violent. From the very same company, 87North Productions, who created Bob Odenkirk’s Nobody and its impending sequel due later this year.
The basic plot points - hidden past, former assassin, new cover with suddenly emerging secrets of the past, you’ve seen this movie before. What makes it work are the characters and the actors that are delivering wonderfully jovial, delightfully violent performances. Quan is equally convincing as a realtor as much as a former tough guy for a crime syndicate. His true love, Rose, played by Ariana DeBose, is entrancing from her inability to care about the dangers she finds herself in and the unashamed attitude of knowing she put herself there in the first place. DeBose is capable and lovingly cherishable. She plays off Quan in a manner that is both complex and somehow adorable in its innocence among the savagery. They are great together.
An unexpected bright spot is Marshawn “Beastmode” Lynch who basically plays an assassin version of himself. Aside from actually playing himself on FX’s The League, Love Hurts is his acting debut. And he’s really funny. He is both an intimidating killer and “brother from another mother” to his partner and fellow killer who finds himself hoping his estranged wife will take him back. The duo of King and Otis (Lynch and André Eriksen) is a small sidestory that is hilarious to watch unfold. Lynch also manages to put quite the hurt on Quan’s character delivering some fantastic stunt work reminiscent of his days as an unstoppable running back.
Its story isn’t going to win any awards or praise for its plot, as familiar as it is, but it plays to its strengths convincingly and effectively. Quan and company are a great time watching them beat up faceless thugs, one after another, and any of its shortcomings are short lived with a mercifully fast runtime. It’s as basic in its story elements as can be, but it succeeds in my opinion because it focuses on the characters and their amazing abilities as martial artists and relatability as normal, everyday people who just so happen to have a giant, unbelievable backstory. Love Hurts is Nobody, but instead of Bob Odenkirk, it’s Ke Huy Quan’s turn and if you know his story, seeing him triumphant and badass on the big screen is more than enough to put a smile on your face.
Rated R For: strong/bloody violence and language throughout
Runtime: 83 minutes
After Credits Scene: No
Genre: Action, Comedy
Starring: Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose, Lio Tipton, Marshawn Lynch
Directed By: Jonathan Eusebio
Out of 10
Story: 7/ Acting: 8/ Directing: 8.5/ Visuals: 8
OVERALL: 8/10
Buy to Own: Yes.
Check out the trailer below:
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