Purple Hearts

August 18, 2022 - A fake marriage turns real but not without some serious consequences in this TV-14 film released on Netflix. Sofia Carson and Nicholas Galitzine star. Carson also had a hand in composing the songs used in the movie.

Carson plays Cassie Salazar. She's an aspiring rocker who works at a bar and gives music lessons while she and her band, The Loyal, wait for their big break. Even though she works hard, she doesn't have the insurance she needs to pay for the diabetes medicine she needs.

Enter Luke Morrow (Galitzine). He's a recovering addict who joined the Marines. He's stationed at the local base while he prepares to ship out to Iraq. Even though Luke seems to have his act together now, there's still the matter of paying off the debt he owes to his former dealer. After a wary first encounter with Cassie at the bar where she works, Luke convinces her to marry him because married Marines get more money and their spouses get good benefits.

They marry just before Luke and company - which includes Cassie's best friend from childhood – leave for Iraq. While he's gone, Cassie and her band start finding success. Cassie also keeps busy with lovey-dovey text messages and video calls with Luke to keep up the charade. But, things happen and their secret is exposed. Cassie and Luke must then decide if their fake marriage is really worth fighting for.

Overall review: ** Watchable but predictable. While the course of true love rarely runs smoothly, these characters seemed to intentionally hit every bump in the road. The best part about the film, honestly, is the music. I kind of wish the band had more screentime.