There is nothing quite like a night of laying on the couch and enjoying a cheesy rom-com to celebrate Valentine’s Day. 

It just so happens that the 2010 film “Valentine’s Day” fits the bill for an easy watch on the holiday of the same name. With a star-studded cast and intertwining stories, both singles and couples alike may want to check this film out. 

Directed by Garry Marshall, known for “The Princess Diaries” series and “Pretty Woman,” the ensemble film follows 10 different storylines that explore the struggles of love, both young and old, during the Valentine’s Day season.

Whether it’s experiencing unrequited love, grappling with one’s sexuality or discovering feelings for a friend, this film attempts to cover all the ups and downs of romance. 

The primary cast members include Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner, Bradley Cooper and Julia Roberts. The supporting cast includes Emma Roberts, Taylor Lautner, Eric Dane, Anne Hathaway, Topher Grace and Taylor Swift. 

Notably, in this list, there isn’t much diversity. The only people of color in this film are George Lopez, Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah, but all three of these actors play side characters with little screen time or development. There is also only one queer character out of the 22 characters in the film, and his plot is a side one. 

Despite having over 10  relationships in the film, the fact that the majority of them are white and heterosexual, makes more a disappointing show of the diverse love that really exists outside of Hollywood. 

The scenes between Swift and Lautner have been continuously popular since the film’s release due in part to their in real-life relationship during filming but also due to Swift’s large number of fans who love her performance in the film. “Valentine’s Day” was Swift’s first film debut as she tends to stick to performing and songwriting. 

Despite having a stacked cast of highly acclaimed actors and a notable rom-com director, the film’s balance of each storyline feels uneven, which makes it difficult to connect to any of the characters.

The inability to structure the story neatly makes for a film that bounces back and forth without ever landing anywhere.

The storylines last only from the morning of Feb. 14 to midnight, which means there isn’t even time or space to truly understand who the characters are and what they want. Does any audience need to know a full character’s life to make for a cute, simple rom-com? No, but it does make for a more complex, interesting film. 

For those who enjoy a classic early 2010 romcom, this is definitely an entertaining one, especially as Valentine’s Day approaches. Yet, entertainment is really all this film delivers as its surface level story is cutesy but shallow. 

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