Purple Hearts

I might be forced to believe the assumption that anything Netflix touches turns to gold. It might be fact that this movie reached over a hundred million watch hours or that viewers describe it as 'beautiful'.
Notwithstanding, there is a lot of attention on this movie. It might be because of the storyline, or the criticisms surrounding it. This movie has drawn criticism for propagating misogynistic stereotypes.

Purple Hearts is a movie about Cassie (Sofia Carson) and Luke (Nicholas Galitzine). Cassie has type 1 diabetes and is a struggling artist who waits tables to pay her rent and buy drugs for herself since her obviously shitty health insurance cannot cover her insulin medication, while Luke is an ex drug addict who is recently recruited into the Marines.

Luke and Cassie get into a marriage of convenience. This marriage affords Cassie the needed medical care for her diabetes, and Luke the needed allowance to pay off his drug dealer friend who threatens him and his family. An obvious scam of a marriage, but it works.

Asides the obvious criticisms, I believe this movie is absolutely 'beautiful' From the realistic storyline, to the jaw breaking transition from strangers to enemies, enemies to friends and friends to lovers between the characters, I'll say I prefer it when the character is a rude spoilt rich boy who finds redemption in an innocent, prim and proper girl.
However, I noticed that there was absence of close-up filming between the actors. For a romantic movie, close-up filming during certain scenes is absolutely necessary as it adds to the romantic and watch appeal.

In addition, I found most of Luke and Cassie's conversations disturbing. It added authenticity to the claims of people who assume the movie propagates misogyny especially the part where Luke and Cassie argue, and while Luke believes he is the one who goes out to save the world, he thinks Cassie is just a Twitter keypad feminist.

Armando, Luke's co Marine, doesn't also help matters as he constantly shades Cassie on her beliefs and believe she doesn't have a right to argue with him. Asides his jovial energy, one might be safe to assume he doesn't have respect for women. When he said " Do what the man says" during a heated conversation at a restaurant where they go to celebrate, I lost it.

Then there's also the fact that even though Luke is an ex drug addict, the Marines recruit him. This is a great pointer to belief in redemption of oneself and when Cassie hangs the American flag alongside the LGBTQ flag after she sees Luke off to the base, it's a pointer that she might actually start to believe in America again after the harsh treatment it serves her mother as an immigrant.
I also have to give credit to the director Rosenbaum, for the superb cinematography, soul touching instrumentals, and amazing special effects, they were so realistically beautiful.

My favorite actor in the movie is definitely Cassie. I love how she grows from a flawed character in the beginning of the movie to someone who understands love and commitment. When Luke is injured in combat, she takes care of him. It is admirable how both Luke and Cassie respect and trust each other despite the fact that they are in a fake marriage, and become sweetly sacrificial. The fact that Cassie is an artist does it for me. Her music speaks from her soul and while most people speak their feelings out loud or write them in a journal, she instead turns hers into music.

My favorite track of hers is "Come back home". Not only does it have great replay value, but it felt like she wrote the song for Luke. As someone who is spiritual, I might be a little selfish if I said the song saved Luke from being killed in combat and instead brought him back home even if it was in a wheelchair.
If a movie doesn't evoke some sort of emotions, then I guess viewers won't remember it. And the writers of this movie must have understood this assignment, because I was shattered when Frankie died. Armando could have died, and I wouldn't feel it because he was a total jerk, but when Frankie died, I couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

This was a realistic romance movie for me. I mean I am not against a romance movie with a toxic male character constantly manipulating the female character and calling it love with some cliché love scenes, there are viewers who enjoy that. But I feel this movie speaks to what love is actually about.

The sacrifices, the compromises and the fact that love would not always be at first sight, it can also grow over time. Then there's also commitment towards each other, something Luke and Cassie fiercely embodied for one another.
Honestly, when Luke had his accident, I expected Cassie to freak and bolt. They weren't in love or anything, but she freaked and stayed to take care of him. Now, that's a show of love.

To make the movie more enjoyable, I believe there would have been steamier scenes. Asides the slight show of nudity after they got married and in the bathroom, there was really no hint of sexual chemistry between. It was obvious they were attracted to each other, and a little bit of longing touches here and there in addition to some intense stares wouldn't have been a bad idea.

Word is, there is going to be another part of the movie coming to our screens soon. And I couldn't be more excited because I am sure the writers and producers have something exciting up their sleeves. Purple Hearts rates a solid ⅘ for me and I definitely recommend.

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