ReelBob: ‘Bad Cupid’ ★★★
By Bob Bloom
“Love means never having to say you’re sorry?” Not according to Archie (John Rhys-Davies), a Cupid for the 21st century, who resorts to mayhem, kidnapping and other unconventional means to make sure true love’s arrow hits the right target.
That is the premise of “Bad Cupid,” a twisted romantic comedy about Dave (Shane Nepveu), a heartbroken young man still pining for the girl who dumped him a year earlier.
“Bad Cupid” is infectious, mostly due to Rhys-Davies’ over-the-top performance as a booze-swilling, foul-mouthed Cupid who barks, shouts and intimidates timid people into taking that leap of faith to find the path of true love — even if he has to give them a solid shove.
He hides his heart of gold under a bellicose performance that is funny and endearing. His Cupid is frustrated with humanity’s wasting time with unrequited love and not recognizing each other’s true feelings.
The movie’s plot feels more Shakespearean or French farce than contemporary comedy, with mistaken identities and reversals of fortunes.
Nepvue’s Dave is basically the movie’s straight man. For a year, he has been carrying a torch as big as a bonfire for Denise, despite the efforts of his unbridled cousin, Morris (Briana Marin), to lift him out of his doldrums.
She even takes Dave to Las Vegas, where he meets a Stella (Amelia Sorensen), who is attracted to him. But even a romantic evening cannot extinguish Dave’s flame.
Nepvue’s performance is the heart of the movie, even though it is overshadowed by the hijinks of Rhys-Davies and Marin, whose Morris is a free-spirited young woman who says whatever’s on her mind, even if it is not what her cousin wants to hear.
David is a decent guy who has put his life on hold because he refuses to give up on his romantic belief in love.
At its core, “Bad Cupid” tests the idealism of true love against its realities. And, as someone who has been married for almost 50 years, I do understand the differences and the challenges of finding Ms. (or Mr.) Right and maintaining a lifelong relationship.
Much of the film’s comedic tension rests of the kidnapping of Henry (Claybourne Elder), scheduled to marry Denise that very afternoon.
Archie thrusts the bound-and-gagged Henry into the lives of David and Morris, to see what the obsessive David is willing to do to rekindle true love.
Since “Bad Cupid” is a comedy, things work out for everyone in the end.
It seems the moral of this tale, with a screenplay by Neal Howard & Ira Fritz and Anthony Piatek from a story by Howard and Fritz, is that sometime true love may need a kick — or an arrow — in the ass.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.
BAD CUPID
3 stars out of 4
Not rated, language