2 Hearts

Two very beautiful stories following two families with two love stories - and a turn of events - which will bring them together in the end. Very moving - very touching - at times comical and lighthearted - and then very spiritual with a message of true love and importance of family - and of caring for others. The sceneries are breathtaking and the characters very believable and their connections and relationships hold your interest to the end. The fact based on real people - just completes the story.

When I stumbled upon the 2020 movie "2 Hearts" here late in 2022, I had actually not heard about the movie. I found it by random chance on Netflix, and of course opted to watch it since it was a movie that I hadn't already seen.

With me not being in any way familiar with the movie, director Lance Hool had every chance to impress, bedazzle and entertain me.

And he managed to do that. The storyline in "2 Hearts" is a very well-written and enjoyable storyline. So writers Robin U. Russin and Veronica Hool definitely gave director Lance Hool something profound, wholesome and worthwhile to work with. It is a very gripping and compelling storyline, just as it is a heartfelt, emotional and beautiful storyline.

The acting performances in "2 Hearts" were good, and the movie woudn't have been so enjoyable if the acting performances weren't spot on. I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, and that is something I enjoy when I sit down to watch a movie, as there are no connections associated to other previously portrayed characters by the faces of the actors and actresses.

"2 Hearts" is a very beautiful movie, and I was genuinely entertained by it. And this is definitely a movie that I will recommend you sit down and watch, should you get the chance.

My rating of "2 Hearts" lands on a seven out of ten stars.

IN A NUTSHELL: Based on the dramatic true story from the 2017 book All My Tomorrows: A Story of Tragedy, Transplant and Hope by Brian Gregory, the movie intertwines two families' lives. It tells the story of Christopher Gregory and Jorge Bacardi, who is practically Cuban royalty of the Bacardi Rum dynasty. Directed by Lance Hool, the movie is family-friendly and sugary sweet. Chris Charalambous, the Head of Acquisitions at Freestyle stated, "We believe 2 Hearts is the kind of heartwarming and uplifting love story that audiences need right now and will want to experience." A special thanks to all of those who bravely declare themselves organ donors on their driver's license. They will live on in all of the lives they touch.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: The movie is about a double lung transplant. You might need to explain to your kids what that's all about. Some profanity Lots of kissing Someone dies

THEMES: "There are only 2 ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." - Chris/Narrator There are things that are more than meets the eye. Life is helpful when you can zoom in and out of it in order to get a proper perspective. "When things don't work out, there's always a reason." - Grace (Kari Matchett) Being an organ donor after death and all that means is explored. Triumph can overcome tragedy Life and death and everything in between

THINGS I LIKED: Jacob Elordi from Euphoria is one of the main characters, but you probably won't recognize most of the other actors. They felt like real people, not actors. Jorge Bacardi is 76 years old today, but there was a time when his parents were told that he wouldn't even live past 10 years old. There are references to having faith in God, but this is not an overtly religious movie, so all audiences will be able to relate and be inspired by it. Have a box of tissues ready when you watch this. You will cry. You feel the emotion and pain of both stories. I like how the movie poster shows puzzle pieces and illustrates how we are all connected. While her husband was in surgery for the organ donation, Leslie asked the doctor about all of the people in the waiting room. When she learned that they were all waiting for their loved ones also in surgery, an idea came to her that would bless them all. She and Jorge founded the Gabriel House of Care in memory of Christopher Gregory. It provides lodging and a community for patients and caregivers waiting for transplants. You can learn more about it. During the movie, you find out that hospitals generally don't reveal the names of the organ donors. Because Jorge and Leslie didn't know whose lungs Jorge received in surgery, they named their donor after the angel Gabriel.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: What's funny about this kind of movie is that critics hate it and filmgoers, especially women, love it. It's not the best movie ever made, but it sure has all the feels and that's what people want: to feel something, especially love and hope. Some of the flirtatious dialogue is SUPER cheesy. You pretty much know how things are going to go, but then the movie flips things around and surprises you. I love a good surprise. Super sappy music. The movie looks and feels like a movie on the Lifetime channel. Some of the characters joke around but nothing is really laugh-out-loud funny. Because of that, I would not call this movie a rom-com. It was sweet to watch the two romances unfold, but it would have been cool to learn more about the other lives that were touched because of the organ donations too. With a movie title like 2 Hearts, I assumed the story would be about a heart transplant, but it's not. Because it was a double lung transplant, there should have been more metaphors about breath and breathing, although Jorge and Leslie did name their boat "the breath of life" in Spanish. There are some bad acting moments.

Greetings again from the darkness. We've seen it before. Two stories, seemingly unrelated, yet parallel. Only this time it's based on a true story, and the 2017 book "All My Tomorrows" by Brian Gregory. Director Lance Hool and co-writers Veronica Hool and Robin U. Russin serve up a touching and inspirational story of how the lives of families can intersect, and how triumph can come from tragedy.

Admittedly, the film has a bit of Lifetime Movie Channel look and feel. It even begins with some conventional philosophy on life courtesy of our narrator: it's either a miracle or it's not, and life either happens to us or for us. These are neither particularly thought-provoking nor deep, however, they do set the stage well enough for the story. We first see an unconscious Chris Gregory (Jacob Elordi, THE KISSING BOOTH) being wheeled on a gurney into the surgical area of a hospital. His loved ones are obviously concerned. We then cut to a period many years earlier as a young Cuban boy passes out on a soccer field. We learn Jorge Bolivar has a lung disease, and has been told at various stages that he wouldn't live past 12, 20, or 30 years old.

Despite the different time periods, we see the symmetry with the romantic interests of the men. Modern day college student Chris (also the film's narrator) literally bumps into Sam (Tiera Skovbye, "Riverdale"), and the two become 'Safety Buddies' on campus - offering a ride to those students in need. An older Jorge (Adnan Canto, "Designated Survivor") locks eyes with flight attendant Leslie (Radha Mitchell), which kicks off a whirlwind globe-trotting romance. Chris is a middle-class boy whose parents (Kari Matchett, Tahmoh Penikett) are loving and demanding. Jorge is part of a wealthy Cuban family forced to relocate to Miami due to political pressures under Castro.

Keeping up with the time period for Jorge and Leslie involves spotting the clothing styles and technology hints, and very few viewers won't know where this is headed well before it gets there. The two staged weddings provide all kinds of cuteness, as does goofy, easy-going Chris. Life perspective is one of the key takeaways here, as is a fact that most people should already be well aware: organ donors make a difference and mean the world to those impacted. The film ends with a note on the Gabriel House of Care, a non-profit worth researching.

An incredible story that makes us realize how connected we all are. Love that they made this into a movie.

Great cinematography and cast as well - it gave full detail with that.