Love Hard (2021)
December 20, 2021 6:08 PM - Subscribe
An LA girl, unlucky in love, falls for an East Coast guy on a dating app and decides to surprise him for the holidays, only to discover that she's been catfished. This lighthearted romantic comedy chronicles her attempt to reel in love. Stars Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang, Harry Shum, Darren Barnet.
The sweetness of the scene with his dad and the candle, the way he's navigating his own ideas of masculinity and family heritage - that scene was so lovely. I found the older brother's interfering really annoying, but I am a younger sibling and have been through that kind of hazing by the 'golden' child.
I was surprised by how much I liked Nina Dobrev in this - everyone else I expected to deliver, but I think of her in my head as Elena. However, I really liked her - she was shallow and open about being shallow and the weird double catfish angle mixed with genuine friendship - it worked. And oh her loathing of Thoreau, chef's kiss.
It's going on my holiday movie list.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 6:38 PM on December 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
I was surprised by how much I liked Nina Dobrev in this - everyone else I expected to deliver, but I think of her in my head as Elena. However, I really liked her - she was shallow and open about being shallow and the weird double catfish angle mixed with genuine friendship - it worked. And oh her loathing of Thoreau, chef's kiss.
It's going on my holiday movie list.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 6:38 PM on December 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
Apropos of nothing; someone's really missing out by not casting Nina Dobrev, Victoria Justice, and Emanuelle Chriqui together in something.
posted by bartleby at 7:24 PM on December 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by bartleby at 7:24 PM on December 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
This was my hit of the Christmas season movie watching this year-just delightful.
posted by purenitrous at 9:44 AM on December 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by purenitrous at 9:44 AM on December 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
Agreed that this was an above average holiday romcom. I thought they balanced the mistakes the leads made very well, so they both felt flawed but not terrible, and you could really root for the romance.
Josh's family was adorable - I didn't even mind the insufferable older brother too much, he was a jerk but he clearly cared too.
The "Baby, It's Cold Outside" caroling was probably my favorite bit, but there were a lot of fun moments - I also giggled at the failed attempts to woo the hot guy (who also seemed perfectly nice, which helped) and the newspaper heist to try to keep the half page engagement announcement under wraps.
posted by the primroses were over at 11:04 AM on December 21, 2021 [2 favorites]
Josh's family was adorable - I didn't even mind the insufferable older brother too much, he was a jerk but he clearly cared too.
The "Baby, It's Cold Outside" caroling was probably my favorite bit, but there were a lot of fun moments - I also giggled at the failed attempts to woo the hot guy (who also seemed perfectly nice, which helped) and the newspaper heist to try to keep the half page engagement announcement under wraps.
posted by the primroses were over at 11:04 AM on December 21, 2021 [2 favorites]
I really enjoyed this too, even though it was cheesy, predictable and corny as hell. But, damn, if we don't all need a little bit of fluffy escapism these days. I thought the lead actors were perfect in their roles and all in all, I was thoroughly entertained.
posted by essexjan at 1:55 PM on December 21, 2021
posted by essexjan at 1:55 PM on December 21, 2021
I really enjoyed it. His dating profile pictures were amazing. Now I'm tempted to rewatch it...
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 2:28 PM on December 21, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 2:28 PM on December 21, 2021 [2 favorites]
This was nice. Characters were great, story was of course predictable, but nothing made me cringe (unlike most rom-coms) so it was a win.
posted by gaspode at 4:23 PM on December 21, 2021
posted by gaspode at 4:23 PM on December 21, 2021
We watched it a couple of weeks ago-Netflix has been doing a nice job with their holiday RomComs.
posted by COD at 2:07 PM on December 22, 2021
posted by COD at 2:07 PM on December 22, 2021
There were definitely some things in here that hit my embarrassment squick hard, but overall it was a fairly cute holiday rom-com and one that I wouldn't mind watching again. The parts where she's "working" made me curl into a ball, though--it's that thing of watching movies or TV do your field/work experience and it's so wrong it makes you crazy. Online publications are very, very not like that.
It also brought home how much Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnett, who played Tag) comes across as way too old to be in high school on Never Have I Ever. The mid-twenties or thirty-year-old actors playing high schoolers always bugs; it was nice to see him play more his age here.
I really liked the dad here.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 10:14 AM on December 23, 2021
It also brought home how much Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnett, who played Tag) comes across as way too old to be in high school on Never Have I Ever. The mid-twenties or thirty-year-old actors playing high schoolers always bugs; it was nice to see him play more his age here.
I really liked the dad here.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 10:14 AM on December 23, 2021
I liked it! I decided to watch because it got good reviews here.
I liked how it has many elements of a typical rom-com, but some things are different or unexpected. No one is mean or super shallow. (Well, I guess the brother is a little shallow but he's not a bad guy).
I liked how Jimmy O Yang's character doesn't fawn or apologize for himself, or hide further... he's just nice and friendly to her. He's presented as being attractive and not pathetic, I like that.
The "cold outside" duet was a highlight. And the chemistry between the main actors is good!
posted by bearette at 5:34 AM on December 24, 2021
I liked how it has many elements of a typical rom-com, but some things are different or unexpected. No one is mean or super shallow. (Well, I guess the brother is a little shallow but he's not a bad guy).
I liked how Jimmy O Yang's character doesn't fawn or apologize for himself, or hide further... he's just nice and friendly to her. He's presented as being attractive and not pathetic, I like that.
The "cold outside" duet was a highlight. And the chemistry between the main actors is good!
posted by bearette at 5:34 AM on December 24, 2021
It was a bit low on the comedy part of my romantic comedy wheelhouse. A lot of the funny scenes were just cringey embarrassment and humiliation, which I have lost my tolerance for over the years
But damn if it wasn't sweet! I'm just repeating others, but the father/son bit with the candles was so warm, and the It's Cold Outside duet was warm and really clever.
I'm really glad I watched it. Perfect holiday tone, it might be on the list next year too.
posted by mark k at 10:11 AM on December 24, 2021 [1 favorite]
But damn if it wasn't sweet! I'm just repeating others, but the father/son bit with the candles was so warm, and the It's Cold Outside duet was warm and really clever.
I'm really glad I watched it. Perfect holiday tone, it might be on the list next year too.
posted by mark k at 10:11 AM on December 24, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by rednikki at 6:10 PM on December 20, 2021 [3 favorites]