2 Hearts is the kind of movie that gets described in terms of how many tissues you need to get through it. It is a weepy love story that aims at pulling on your heartstrings. The film often feels manipulative even preachy. I mean, a hospital gurney shows up in the opening moments of the film and you know exactly where things are headed.
Early on the film telegraphs its story's trajectory. Not only does it open with one of its main characters in the hospital, but it also drops clumsy hints in early scenes. 2 Hearts uses a liberal amount of voice-over from a young man named Chris (Jacob Elordi). He tells the tale of two parallel love stories. One is his own and the other follows an older man named Jorge (Adan Canto) that starts before Chris was ever born.
2 Hearts jumps back and forth between these stories. Chris is a dumb but attractive college freshman who meets Sam. They bond over helping fellow students get home safely, offering free rides after a night of drinking. Jorge is a wealthy rep of a Cuban distiller his family owns. He falls for Leslie (Radha Mitchell) a flight attendant. We learn early on that Jorge has a condition with his lungs and is likely to not live a long life.
The jumping between these two stories often means we don't get much detail in either. They are sweet romances but also very superficial. They really only serve the movie's message. The two stories converge and the film becomes a commercial for a certain status on your driver's license. It is a positive and important message but I don't need to feel emotionally manipulated into it.
The real-life of Jorge Bacardi is an inspiring tale. He calls what happens to him a "miracle." While the film comes from Freestyle Releasing, the God-talk is left to a minimum. However, there is an annoying sense that the real message is not about an individual's selfless action but about divine intervention. 2 Hearts is a tear-jerker and if that is your thing then you may find more charm here than I did.
2/5