9.4.12

So yeah, about Valentine...


I'd like to now present the most interesting thing about the movie 'Valentine', and then muse for a moment about what this scene (and the director's commentary about it) says about the film.

To set the stage - a friend to the four main characters girls has disappeared, and the rest have begun receiving mysterious, threatening letters from a figure in their past. One of them has supposedly left town, but was in reality murdered the night before. The other three have gathered to discuss the scene with the detective in charge of the murder investigation.

Pay close attention to the director's comments about the location, and why it was chosen.



So he talks about it being a real house, the problems with negative space, and the beautiful exterior. What doesn't he mention at any point? Why he's shooting there at all!

By which I mean, whose house is that supposed to be, and why are the characters gathered there? The cop asked them all to meet, but they're not meeting at-


The main character's crappy apartment.


The far-nicer apartment shared by Denise Richards and the now-dead girl.


Jessica Capshaw's mansion.


They're meeting at this house, which has no apparent connection to anything else in the film. It's slightly possible that this is supposed to be the house where the first victim (Katherine Heigl!) lived, but A: I'm not sure why they would all be gathered there, and 2: That seems like a suspiciously huge house with well-manicured lawns for a med student who drives this car:


-to be living in. We can even be sure it's not Katherine's parents' house (not that there would be any reason to be meeting there...) since the Detective specifically mentions bringing a box of cards from the parents, hoping that the killer would have sent his condolences.

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