Netflix’s Purple Hearts (2022) Movie Talk
Title: Purple Hearts
Genre: Romance / Drama
Rating: TV-14
Released: July 29, 2022
Run Time: 2 hours, 2 minutes
Director: Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum
Starring: Sofia Carson, Nicholas Gailzine, Linden Ashby
Summary:
Polar opposites Cassie, a singer-songwriter and waitress, and Luke, a Marine with a dark past, come to an agreement to get married. The fake union is purely for the military benefits that help both parties. All they have to do is smile and act like a real married couple to avoid drawing unwanted attention to their sudden relationship. An unexpected disaster strikes the pair’s plan, sending everything into chaos.
My Thoughts:
Overall I enjoyed this movie for a casual viewing. With all of the buzz this movie generated on social media, I was expecting more. The actors were good in their roles, but the romance was hard to believe from start to finish. We are introduced to these characters as total opposites who seem to genuinely hate the other’s thoughts and views, then the plot requires us to believe that they find harmony without showing us how they got past their differences.
I am also not a huge fan of movies laced with politics and this film was filled with it. I understand what they were going for with both sides of the political spectrum finding a way to understand and respect each other. The execution could have been done better. It ends up being stressful to watch as the main couple get into heated arguments over everything. If they had included some humor to ease the tension, it would have been easier to digest.
While the movie clocks in at two hours, it feels rushed with all of the different plot lines. A character dies and the movie keeps trucking along without much time to mourn the loss. The death even felt unnecessary as it did not alter the plot. There is the over-arching “fake romance” storyline, Cassie’s medical storyline, Cassie’s music career storyline, Cassie’s mother’s storyline, Luke’s past coming back, Luke’s deployment and his time in Iraq, etc. Each storyline ends up being quite predictable due to the rushed scenes.
I am not an expert on how the military works or how fast you can become a successful singer, so I am not sure how realistic those aspects of the film are.
All in all it is a good watch if you are flipping through Netflix and looking for something new.
Have you watched Purple Hearts? Comment your thoughts below!
ashleyohare 