Ashton Kutcher shines in this likeable romcom that takes place over the course of a single February 14 in Los Angeles. That's quite a compliment for Mr Demi Moore, considering this ensemble cast reads like a who's who of Hollywood.
Like Richard Curtis's Love Actually, Valentine's Day tries to cover every possible permutation of love with its vast array of characters. They include romantics (Kutcher and Jennifer Garner), unbelievers (Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel), those in the throes of first love (Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner), an old married couple (Shirley MacLaine and Hector Elizondo) and, of course, a love rat (Patrick Dempsey).
As is typical of interlocking ensemble dramas, some threads work better than others. It starts and ends with the story that is the staple of John Hughes and most romcoms: the guy who is with the wrong girl and only begins to realise this during the course of the movie.
Kutcher is a florist who starts the day by proposing to his girlfriend (Biel). The florist's best friend (Garner) is a teacher who doesn't realise that the doctor she is involved with (Dempsey) is married. When the doctor comes in to the florist to order two sets of roses, one for his wife and the other for his mistress, Kutcher is faced with the task of trying to mend his best friend's heart.
All the storylines are cliché-ridden and the ones that work the least are those involving the younger members of the cast, from the high school shenanigans of teenage girls and boys, to the saccharine efforts of a child (Bryce Robinson) trying to get flowers delivered to his school.
In contrast, the actors who play their roles with their tongue firmly in their cheek excel. Foxx has a lot of fun as a sport reporter, while Alba is engaging as a publicist who organises an anti-Valentine's Day dinner every year. Eric Dane is also amusing as the American football star reaching the end of his career.
The director Garry Marshall calls upon his Pretty Woman star, Julia Roberts, for an intriguing cameo in which she spends the movie sitting next to Bradley Cooper on a flight. They're probably the only characters who resemble real people rather than cardboard cut-outs and they are pivotal in the neat way that all the stories are tied up in the denouement.
After a rocky opening, Valentine's Day wins you over with its final act, especially when the lesser stories are discarded in favour of seeing the florist get the girl of his dreams. There is even a hilarious joke from Roberts about Pretty Woman to look forward to in the end credits.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
Company%20profile
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If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Company%20profile
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
