Love Happens
U/A; Romance
Dir: Brandon Camp
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston, Dan Fogler, Judy Greer, Joe Anderson, John Carroll Lynch
*1/2

What's it about: Jennifer Aniston has become synonymous with schmaltzy mush-fests where she tries to different versions of Rachel from Friends. Love Happens is no different from Rumor Has It or He's Just Not That Into You.u00a0 Here she plays Eloise, a florist whose opinions of love seem picked up from a Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Eckhart plays a grief counsellor who helps people move on and deal with loss while he's personally striving to get closure from his wife's demise. Eloise and Burke meet, say a few cheesy dialogues, she nods her head while he attempts to milk those dimples. Everything else happens in the background.



What's hot: There is something about Aaron Eckhart that makes him a natural charmer. Using it to his maximum advantage, he breathes some life in his otherwise cardboard character. Surprisingly it's John Carroll Lynch who despite his supporting role stuns us as a mourning father.
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What's not: Predictability is thy middle name! Everything you watch and hear in Love Happens has been seen and heard before. There's not a single new angle or character it explores. It's like watching a rerun of a fairly average sitcom. Jen sorely disappoints with her blandness and pale demeanor. If she's doing this for the paychecks, she might as well turn back to TV (think Alec Baldwin).

Despite Eckhart's honesty, there is zero chemistry between him and Aniston. Most of the situations and dialogues are cringe-worthy and extremely banal. Even those weak attempts to use humour to take the story forward doesn't work.