The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020)Movies

“The Broken Hearts Gallery” hits all the stops on the road to romantic-comedy gold: a messy breakup early in the movie; an ingenious scheme to channel a woman’s anger into a glam project; and a hot new man she has no interest in . . . at first.

So, why did it take the exit onto Meh Boulevard?

The film’s worst offense is that it works way too hard for it to be a light watch. The viewing experience is like wondering if you should laugh while a clown struggles to bench-press 600 pounds. The actors’ facial expressions are huge, and the overwrought punchlines feel fitted for a laugh track. First-time writer-director Natalie Krinsky’s background is in writing for TV shows such as “Gossip Girl” and “Grey’s Anatomy,”...