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Reviews
Snowkissed (2021)
Truly a dud.
This is one of those films where one can't help but wonder how it ever got past the drawing board. For a cast that's shown themselves to be much more talented than what this movie's giving them, I actually feel a bit bad that they had to act in this catastrophe and try to make something out of it.
The film's weakest point is easily Jen Lilley's character, Kate, who everyone in the reviews (rightfully) is incredibly annoyed by. She is unbelievably neurotic and overanalyzes every possible human task, and at first, I was intrigued by these traits, because most Hallmark female leads don't have a personality outside of "driven businesswoman," which is the default template of a woman through which every lead gets recycled. I applaud (but not energetically) Hallmark for trying to make their characters be less two-dimensional, but they failed extraordinarily in this venture by making Kate so overwhelmingly obnoxious in her constant anxiety. To make matters worse, she's not actually consistent in this anxiety. She's afraid of driving in a car in Canada, but has no problem getting in a taxi in New York. She fears everything, but gives her love interest Noah lessons on getting over his stage fright.
Some of the reviewers were charmed by the side couple, photographer Jayne and right-hand-businessman Simon, but I found them so out of the realm of realistic that I couldn't enjoy them either. As much as I love and appreciate a woman who makes the first move, she pursues Simon -- a man who gives her flirtations absolutely no reaction -- to a point where it's cringeworthy, until Simon, suddenly and miraculously, returns her feelings and makes it clear by buying out what looks like all the inventory of a flower shop. Cut to the next scene, they're cuddling in each other's arms and giving each other goodbye kisses. Simon himself attests to being a man of few words, but Jayne is somehow convinced that they'll make a long distance relationship work. Their entire relationship is so ludicrous that it was hard to take it seriously.
Also breaking the suspension of disbelief is male lead Noah, who wants to save his B&B business by becoming a tour guide. He is so laughably bad (and also laughably oblivious about being so bad) that it's hard to believe that he and Simon are hinging the success of their entire business on Noah's adventure tour. He obsesses over perfecting his script, never once considering that he might -- like all tour guides -- need to actually learn the information instead of just memorize and regurgitate it.
Needless to say, he and Kate -- inexplicably -- begin to fall for each other. Their chemistry is completely lost in the absurdity of this movie. Not helping their cause is the rocky beginning this couple has, having an awkward first meeting at the airport and, thereafter, uncomfortable scenes in which they do little but disagree. Kate pounds on the fact that she's from New York, the best city in the world, and is so stubborn in this short-sighted opinion that it's hard not to get bored of her repeating it every other scene. How Hallmark thought a grown woman who can't handle a car ride, is too afraid to order coffee in a foreign country, and is too closed-minded to think happiness exists outside of Manhattan, would be a likable character is beyond me. Her and all the other ridiculous choices made in the story made this movie downright bad.
All in all, I'd recommend skipping this movie and choosing another from Hallmark's winter line-up this year. Two stars for beautiful Canadian scenery.
Christmas by Starlight (2020)
Well-written, and it shows.
This movie is genuinely funny, heart-warming, and well-written. I can only hope Paul Campbell and Kimberley Sustad do more writing for Hallmark, specifically because I love the comedic touches put into this film (for all the rom-coms they put out, Hallmark frequently forgets to be funny). Paul Campbell is a force to be reckoned with when humor is in the picture, and I personally feel he thrives in those charmingly funny roles much more than when he plays overly earnest, serious characters (his best performances for me are his roles in Window Wonderland and Surprised by Love, where he plays Shawn-Spencer-like characters that you both want to roll your eyes at and love with all your heart). Even as a businessman, he gets to be authentically funny here, and paired with Kimberley's equally sharp comedic chops (she absolutely nails awkwardness in a way that's super amusing), the movie just works. It moves fluidly, believably, and the scenes are just fun to watch even if you already know how the whole thing will end.
Funny enough, I don't think the chemistry between Paul and Kimberley's characters was particularly strong (nor in their last movie they starred in together), but they're such a great writing team, I'd love to see them work together again.
Too Close for Christmas (2020)
A boring script that the actors do absolutely nothing with.
This movie's predictability honestly turns it into a snoozefest.
I have no idea what happened to Chad Michael Murray in this film. I've really enjoyed him in Christmas films in the past (Write Before Christmas and Road to Christmas come to mind), but his acting was so poor here, I started wondering if he legitimately was trying to get himself fired off the film. His character was distant and cold and never really warmed up, not to his family and not to his love interest. He had this deep, almost Southern twang (completely unlike the rest of his family!) that kept making me think he was filming a movie about a grumpy rancher on the side and that character kept bleeding into this one. The lack of family chemistry was super disappointing, especially between the brothers, which not only felt inauthentic, but was a seriously missed opportunity for comedy. (I kept thinking back to Hallmark's The Christmas House, also from this year, where the fun and believable banter between the brothers really made the movie for me).
Jessica Lowndes has become a staple in these Lifetime/Hallmark movies, and I agree with other reviewers that she's slowly but surely improving. She's loosened up considerably and become much less wooden, but still needs to work on bringing emotion into her voice.
The movie's biggest failure, though, is that its plot is so predictable that the audience will literally never be surprised or even impressed by the storytelling. This plot has been told a million times before, and nothing helps it stand out from all the other recycled versions of this exact same movie. There's a calendar of almost rigid holiday traditions that the family follows to a T every year shown near the beginning, which would've been much more enjoyable to watch than what actually happens when everyone else is too sick or indisposed to participate: the two leads have to plan an event together. It's disappointing that this script was approved, because it lacks creativity and any real ingenuity.
Dear Christmas (2020)
Cute start, but a shaky ending.
The first half of this movie is adorable and promising, but around the halfway mark, it falls off the rails a little bit. It starts off with comedy and lovely scenery and a sweet hometown, and somehow gets convoluted along the way with a super contrived conflict.
The turning point is when Melissa Joan Hart's character, Natalie, starts questioning if her burgeoning relationship with Chris is moving too fast, despite the fact that they haven't done anything other than hang out and go on essentially one official date. Their relationship seems like it's traveling on a totally believable pace, but Natalie feels the need to pump the brakes for reasons unknown. She changes her mind when she finds a journal from 8th grade with Chris' name in it, marking him as one of her many crushes from middle school, despite not even remembering him when she first saw him since returning to town. She has books like this for every grade full of boys she had (one can assume) superficial crushes on -- especially given that she usually scratched their names out one page later -- but for some reason, seeing Chris' name in this journal is the tipping point for Natalie to rethink her entire relationship with him, and she confesses her love to him on her podcast. Ridiculousness aside, I just couldn't quite get over the hurdle of needing to believe that Natalie would've completely forgotten Chris after crushing on him in school.
Looking at other reviews, I can see that Jason Priestley is a favorite among viewers, but he felt awfully miscast here for me. His rugged looks felt like they belonged more in a Christmas-at-the-ranch type of movie, rather than the jack-of-all-trade friendly neighbor bill he was attempting to fit here.
On the plus side, I really did enjoy the comedic aspects of this film, especially Chris' grand, slow-motion entrance at the beginning. I love when Lifetime makes a genuine effort at humor in their movies, and that's what kept me sticking around this film. Melissa Joan Hart is also GREAT at comedy and playing roles that enhance the humor. This movie was no exception in that regard!
Christmas Waltz (2020)
Sweet movie that could've slowed down a bit.
This film's shining gem is the dancing element. The elegance and romance of the waltz is sweet and undeniable, and both carries and elevates this movie. Also a boon is Lacey Chabert as Avery and Will Kemp as Roman, both of whom do a good job playing their roles. Also a fun surprise was JT Church as the energetic Nicky, who some may pleasantly recognize from So You Think You Can Dance.
Unsurprisingly, the scenes that focus on the dancing are the best. The lessons are fun to watch, and one can feel the relationship gradually and authentically grow as they practice. The best scene in the movie is easily when Roman and Avery spontaneously dance down a street together at night; it's cute, unexpected, and just puts a smile on the audience's face.
What I took some issue with is how unbelievably fast Roman and Avery's relationship moves. After only a few dance lessons (one of which ends early because Avery storms off in tears), the two of them are suddenly thick as thieves. The movie takes a few strange narrative turns - for instance, on their way to go ice skating Roman hits his head and briefly needs care from Avery, although watching them ice skate together probably would've been more enjoyable - that are a bit hard to believably follow, mostly because the two of them go from strangers to teacher/student to Avery taking part in family dinners, where everyone gleefully welcomes her with open arms. I would've loved to see more development between them rather than some of the other scenes that fluff out the movie, and honestly, we could've ditched the ex-fiance-comes-running-back cliche entirely for a slightly less overused plot twist. Also a bit disappointing: after some misunderstandings, the movie ends very abruptly, leaving very little closure. A bit of a wrap-up would have been appreciated; as it was, ending the movie felt a bit like being ejected out of a roller coaster you expected to still roll to a stop.
And as a bit of a nitpick, Lacey Chabert wears NOTHING but what are basically flouncy summer dresses (sometimes, when lucky, with a coat) despite it being winter in New York. Try harder at pretending it's actually Christmastime, Hallmark!
A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado (2020)
Marvelous chemistry.
Yes, this movie is absurdly similar to another Hallmark film, Miss Christmas. I do have to condemn the Hallmark staff who thought it would be a good idea to plagiarize themselves so blatantly. Christmastime is a PLAYGROUND of romance and movie ideas; there is absolutely no reason to start recycling ideas, especially not with actors who are genuinely talented and deserve their own storyline.
All that being said, I really enjoyed this movie. The actors had wonderful chemistry and were believable in their roles. I also cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed the mid-fight kiss -- this is a trope that Hallmark almost never employs and really amps up the romantic tension between the couple.
I also want to give props where props are due: I'm impressed and very happy that Hallmark has started taking representation so seriously. All of the main characters in this film are POC. Some of the side characters are LGBTQ. And as a cherry on top, I really love that this movie has branched out from the usual cookie cutter family dynamic and shines a light on adoption. All of the above are refreshing, progressive, and just downright nice to see on TV, and those elements actually made this film better than Miss Christmas for me.
My two beefs with the film are: 1) as others have pointed out, the ridiculousness of this town having trouble finding a suitable Christmas tree in Colorado, and 2) that using a particular tree on a particular residential lot is somehow a turning point that could flip the entire mayor's career upside down. These conflicts were a bit thin, but I was willing to overlook them for the sake of the movie, as one sometimes has to do for Hallmark.
USS Christmas (2020)
A nice idea that could've been better executed.
This is an enjoyable movie, thanks to a likeable cast and some refreshing angles. The concept of a Tiger Cruise, like other reviewers, was new to me, and despite not usually caring for Hallmark's military-themed films, I enjoyed learning more about the Navy here. Jen Lilley and Trevor Donovan as leads Maddie and Billy both did a great job (Jen Lilley in particular always brings authentic emotions to the table).
The relationship between the two of them, however, was on shakier ground for me. The timing of this film was essentially on light speed. Maddie and Billy spend a few days together and suddenly (after initially being rejected by her, no less), Billy's tracking Maddie down at her work and telling her that their whole lives have led to them meeting, that fate wants them to be together, etcetera, etcetera. It was honestly a bit cringeworthy for me, especially considering that the first few meetings between the two of them were unbelievably awkward with no palpable romantic tension.
Once they fall for each other, though, Maddie has reservations about the relationship because of Billy's involvement in the Navy and fears living a life like her mother's, who married a military man and lost him when her children were still young. By the end of the movie, however, Maddie magically has no hang-ups about this issue anymore. She speaks to a few people who they both make arguments that I found less than compelling (essentially that loves matters more than anything else), and suddenly changes her mind completely about being with a Navy man. (Funny enough, Billy himself resents his military father for not being more present in his life; he makes a stiff remark during dinner about always getting his Christmas presents in the mail and never getting to see his father in person. Nothing suggests, however, that he would be any different as a father to his own family).
Also a disappointment to me was the mystery of the couple Maddie chases throughout the movie. I was expecting something intriguing and surprising, but in the end, the mystery truly is that there is no mystery. The couple is just that -- a married couple! In the end, nothing stood in the way of their relationship at all. They're honestly as boring as two people could be, yet Maddie works a front-page story out of them for the paper she works at.
In the end, this movie is sweet and certainly will squeeze the hearts of a patriotic audience. It could have used a bit more polishing around the edges, though.
Feliz NaviDAD (2020)
Sweet but simple.
Just as a heads up: you have to really like the song Feliz Navidad if you're going to watch this movie, because you'll hear it over and over and over again. The end of this movie is practically this song on a back-to-back loop.
That out of the way, this is a pretty cute movie. Mario Lopez (David) plays a believable dad and has good chemistry with AnnaLynne McCord (Sophie), which the movie enhances by giving them fun, light-hearted banter as dialogue. There's also an enjoyable Pitch Perfect aspect to this film with the acapella group, led by Sophie, which allows her to form an organic bond with David's daughter Noel.
On the negative side, the movie seesaws a bit drastically sometimes between over-the-top comedy (like the ludicrous dates David goes on with downright impossible women) and deep, personal conversations (which mostly revolve around David's passed wife and how her death has affected his family). The climax of the movie also focuses on a few completely unnecessary conflicts, even if they are resolved quickly -- for instance, Sophie brings the EXACT items needed to save the day (and Noel's performance at the Christmas show) without having any prior knowledge of this problem. Also not helping is that the big issue keeping Sophie and David apart (they live in different cities) is sort of swept under the rug via voiceover by David at the very end in which he casually says they'll just commute from city to city to see each other. Not quite the satisfying wrap-up I was hoping for.
All in all, though, this was a sweet family movie, and it was nice to learn more about different holiday traditions and see more representation in these movies.
Christmas in Vienna (2020)
The setting is great! Everything else, not so much.
Considering this movie had the unbelievably festive city of Vienna as its backdrop, it's baffling how bland it ended up being. The setting is stunning (if you've been to Vienna before, it will make you reminisce, and if you want to go, it will encourage you to do so) and the movie gets credit where credit is due for truly hitting all the most beautiful spots in Vienna, but all aspects outside of the location completely lacked. The chemistry isn't there, the acting of some of the side characters is truly atrocious, and the conflict is annoying at best.
The relationship between Jess and Mark did not draw me in at all. A lot of the reviewers are really hitting hard at Brennan Elliott's acting, but I didn't find him any worse than Sarah Drew - both of them were very much average in their abilities (and that's not mentioning Sarah Drew's blatantly fake violin playing). The real problem is that together, they just don't have any spark whatsoever. Not helping the matter are their strained initial meetings, like when Jess asks him to dance the second time she sees him and he awkwardly rejects her, creating a weird speed bump in their chemistry that really didn't need to be there at all.
Then came the unrealistically perfect relationship Jess proceeds to have with Mark's family. She meets his kids once and all of them immediately take to her, more than happy to spend time with her and confide in her. The worst offender here is easily Mark's youngest child, whose acting is so stiff and terrible that it frequently took me out of the story. I realize she's a very young child, but Hallmark really has more talented kids to choose from who actually bother to show emotion.
The third nail in the movie's coffin came with the conflict of Mark potentially leaving Vienna because of his work, a conflict I found more irritating than anything else. The movie obviously tries to nudge the audience to side with Jess when she pushes Mark to completely ignore the ambitions he has for his career and stay in Vienna for the sake of his kids, and this was something I couldn't get over. As far as kids go, they're living a pretty privileged life, what with living in luxurious mansions in some of the most beautiful cities in the world while their father works a presitigious and steady job, but Jess acts as if relocating to Zurich (yet another beautiful city) is such a hardship.
And lastly, my spectrum for humor is pretty tolerant, jokes about how the German language sounds more "like sneezing" than real words are not just tired jokes, but from my perspective as a German, they're also not very funny. It's honestly just rude to make fun of any language (let alone one you don't even understand).
A Timeless Christmas (2020)
Way too many loose ends.
I had high expectations for this movie considering it has all the elements for a winner: time travel, Christmas magic, and a charming mansion. How all these golden ingredients ended up creating such a disappointing movie is beyond me. Even casting aside all the historical inaccuracies, there were still so many glaring issues with this movie. Putting aside Hallmark's typical problems (no chemistry between the leads, for instance), there are still lots of points that stood out:
1) I wasn't sure if this was the script's problem or Ryan Paevey's performance of unwitting time traveler Charles Whitley, but Charles takes to the future shockingly well. After yelling at some of the tourists in his house to leave, he needs very little time to catch up to what's happening and how he needs to behave himself. I couldn't help but compare this movie to Journey Back to Christmas, in which Candace Cameron Bure also time travels from the past, but in contrast, she plays the role much more organically, with appropriate amounts of upset confusion, surprise, and unease. His lack of knowledge of future technology lends itself to a chuckle or two, but all in all, he takes to his new life way too fast.
2) How on earth did someone approve a plot point that focused on a Blue Moon happening on the 18th of a month? It's easy to turn a blind eye to a few slip-ups with historical fashion or dialogue, but this two full moons happening in a month, one of them in the middle of it, is just absurd.
3) I still can't quite wrap my head around how unsatisfying the ending was. I fully expected Charles to use the clock to travel back in time and fix the wrongs he, from the vantage point of the future, realized he needed to do differently, before inevitably returning to "his true love" in the future. At the very least, he could've ended his engagement on better terms (he lamented the fact that his last interaction with his fiance before going missing was an argument), given her his blessing to move on, patched things up (to a believable degree) with his rival, and at least ensure that his riches would be spent in a way that he would approve of. All of the above loose ends are brought up as the movie progresses, but none of them resolved. As it is, he has to live in a future in which he is penniless, homeless, and cannot even use his real identity! He has to give tours in a house that should be rightfully his, while acting as himself, while also pretending to be "Charles Garland," while surrounded with evidence of how his greatest enemy stole Charles' own milling inventions to make himself into the town's hero. How anyone can finish this movie and be happy with how it concluded is a true mystery!
The concept of this entire movie was sweet and promising, but unfortunately, it didn't deliver for me.
The Christmas Ring (2020)
Predictable and flat.
This movie started out strong with an interesting premise and slowly but surely declined in quality as it went on. What begins as an intriguing hunt for the who, where, and why of an antique ring quickly devolves into a predictable movie that is nearly too boring to sit through. There isn't a single stroke of this film that can't be guessed and predicted by the audience beforehand.
The biggest part of this shame lies in the script, which is chock full of dreadfully overused dialogue. The actors, however, only exacerbate this problem significantly by just not doing what they can to pep up a garden variety script. David Alpay (Michael), a Hallmark regular, is usually more engaging, but in this movie, he over-dramatizes nearly every line he speaks. It turns some of his scenes into something that seems almost soap-opera-esque, which is an almost laughable contrast to leading lady Nazneen Contractor (Kendra), who is so unbelievably flat in some moments that it's as if she can barely muster up the effort to even bother acting (one such scene that comes to mind is when her character is accused of betraying her love interest and she adds literally zero emotion into the exchange that follows).
Hallmark usually seems to have big city beef, constantly wrapping up movies by sending the lead character to a charming small town or rural farm and leaving behind their job and life in a busy urban city, and annoying as this typically is, this is one of the few incidences in which it would've been more satisfying to see Kendra join Michael in his tiny hometown rather than having him move to Boston. She's just quit her job and has spent the entire movie fawning over the charm of small town living, and considering that her new job prospects are starting her own website to exclusively write human interest stories, I fully expected her to end the movie working at the gazette with her new BFF, the wife of Michael's brother. Meanwhile, Michael has just rekindled his love for his family's general store and has lots of new ideas on how to expand and change the store, but instead of devoting time to this passion project, he instead abandons it to his brother (not for the first time!) and decides to only return on weekends. All in all, this felt like weird writing choices were made all around.
Sadly disappointing after seeing some of the more uplifting, well-made movies released this year.
The Christmas Bow (2020)
Lovely all around.
This movie kept surprising me with how sweet it was. It starts off as a run-of-the-mill story end ends up chock full of tender moments, family bonding, and a romance full of maturity and development. Good acting is at work here, but the script is doing its job in spades too; several moments can leave you a bit teary-eyed if you let yourself get sucked into the movie. Another reviewer mentions the word "nostalgia," which feels very apt for the movie. It leaves you thinking fondly of Christmasses of the past but also looking forward to how they can impact Christmasses still to come.
Particularly nice in the movie is that every character has a struggle, but at no point does the story feel crowded with too many plot points. The depth of each character adds great levels of realism to the film. At one point while watching, I commented to my friend that it was refreshing to see a mother different from Hallmark's usual brand of bubbly, happily married, magazine-ready mothers. My friend then pointed out that the entire film felt like a turning point for Hallmark (for the better) in that they're stepping out of the mold a little bit of surface level characters and cookie cutter plots (obviously this can't apply to all movies, but baby steps, and these baby steps have to be acknowledged and commended). This movie was festive, but also rooted in realism, which elevated it substantially. The characters are realistic and they're facing realistic problems.
Also a plus is that Lucia Micarelli really is a violinist rather than just an actor pretending to be one. You can see the authenticity in how she plays, the concentration on her face, the expertise in her movements. The portions of the movie where she plays the violin were almost my favorites; just to watch her do so was incredibly enjoyable. It felt as if she was more comfortable in the role of violinist than actress (she struggled to develop good chemistry with not just her love interest, but her family members as well), but it didn't detract significantly from the movie.
My One & Only (2019)
Messy plot and messy ending.
This movie, despite having the charming Pascale Hutton on board, is a hot mess. It's impossible to get wrapped up in this story when the suspension of disbelief is shakier than a broken swingset.
The premise of the movie is that main character Stephanie has been selected for a reality dating show, which is the crux from which most of this movie's problems stem. I'm not convinced that the writers of this script have ever actually seen a reality dating show, because what this movie has created here looks slapdash, boring, and just downright messy. Even though it's a very popular show, the production team only consists of a total of four (!) people, and is filming in a remote ranch in Wyoming that is, at the time of filming, teeming with other guests (who frequently interrupt the show's scheduled "dates" to no consequence). Even weirder, the entire show focuses on only two people: Stephanie, and her intended love interest, Oliver. On real TV, most of these reality shows include a variety of contestants competing for the love and attention of the lucky bachelor/bachelorette, and while this may not be the sort of wholesome, monogamous content Hallmark is known for, a show that is literally just watching one-on-one dates between awkward strangers is just downright absurd. And as expected, the "dates" filmed between Stephanie and Oliver are nothing short of awkward, and certainly doesn't make for riveting television. More frustratingly is that the entire existence of this reality show is unnecessary; Oliver could've easily just been a man Stephanie was set up with by her friend while on vacation, which would've created the same obligation to spend time with him as the reality show does, but in a much more organic fashion.
However, it's the end of this movie that truly takes it from bad to ridiculous. Stephanie and her true love interest, Alex, come together after both accepting dream jobs that put them in different cities, to which Stephanie flippantly says "we'll figure it out," and that's that. This is the messiest way I have ever seen Hallmark try to tie up a loose end, seeing as it ties up nothing at all. Even worse is that the movie actually drops hints and lays groundwork along the way that seem to foreshadow that Stephanie will wind up full-time at the ranch with Alex (her grandparents running a similar ranch and the way she takes to the nature and the rural activities at the ranch to name a few instances), but by the end, it's an irrelevant side character who decides to leave her business and work at the ranch, and Stephanie is set to head back to LA to accept a fought-for promotion as VP at her company. Is this really supposed to be a satisfying ending for the happy couple, knowing that their future is doomed to be long-distance?
Also, this is small potatoes compared to the above complaints, but the trope of the love interests meeting in an antagonistic fashion is getting super old. It's hard enough to get two strangers to convincingly fall in love in the timespan of a Hallmark movie, but to then add in the extra hurdle of starting off on the wrong foot only makes this feat harder. While I believe Hallmark uses this storytelling device as a bit of a moral adage to remind the audience never to judge a book by its cover, it's much nicer to watch people hit it off than it is to watch them snipe and snap at each other for the first quarter (if not more) of a movie.
Love in Store (2020)
Not a bad start, but this movie quickly loses the plot.
The premise of this movie was interesting, and the movie itself started out pretty strong! The second half, however, is such a rapid downturn that the impression it leaves behind is remarkably bad. A few things:
1) This plot almost immediately reminded me of one of my favorite Hallmark movies, Love on the Air, in which, much like this movie, two semi-celebrities (in this case, radio show hosts) are forced to work together because of their brilliant banter after one of them is broken up with live on the air. Love on the Air was fun and complex, while Love in Store misses the mark on several occasions.
2) I got the strong impression that whoever wrote this movie has never actually watched a home shopping network segment. The salespeople behind the camera have to be energetic, fast-talking, and enthusiastic. The hosts in the movie are rather drab, and fill their programs with fluff words rather than genuine attempts to market the products ("what are you going to do with your one wild and precious life" is an adage that is much too heavy for someone trying to sell a fishing rod). This complete separation from the QVC and HSN we all know is such a break from reality that it makes the entire movie difficult to immerse yourself in.
3) The two leads bark and banter at each other for a good chunk of the movie, then spend one tandem bike ride and one home-cooked dinner together and are suddenly extraordinarily friendly with each other, if not more. From this point forward, the movie drags itself downward by seriously belaboring the problem between them (should they host together or not, a stance they proceed to torturously flip-flop on) and dwelling on a ridiculous metaphor about vacuuming. The male lead is suddenly so committment-phobic that he can't make up his mind about his job or his love interest, and to make matters even more unnecessarily convoluted, the boyfriend who the female lead broke up with at the start of the film is abruptly back in the picture to dramatically propose on TV. The movie is then forced to wrap up tremendously quickly, where (once again, on live TV), the main characters kiss in front of all their colleagues and decide to be together. The entire second half of the movie needed serious reevaluating as well as help with time-management.
On the bright side, I actually found Alexandra Breckenridge and Robert Buckley to have good chemistry (although it would've been much better had they given their relationship more time to organically flourish).
Love, Romance & Chocolate (2019)
Sweet, but overall disappointing.
I had high expectations of this movie after seeing someone laud its location in a different movie review, but those high expectations fell a bit short in the end. The movie was classic Hallmark, but also nothing special beyond that.
A lot of the other reviewers were charmed with Bruges, which is, of course, a stunning city, but I actually think the movie could've done more for it. The leads walk around the city a bit (usually to find "inspiration" for a flavor for the chocolate competition the movie is ceneterd around, which is already a very contrived way to push the characters into spending time together outside of the chocolate shop), but Bruges is much more beautiful than the shots we were granted makes it out to be.
Meanwhile, Lacey Chabert and Will Kemp were lukewarm as the leads, and rather lukewarm as a couple. Lacey Chabert has a longstanding relationship with Hallmark that makes her a pleasantly familiar face whenever she's in one of their movies, but she seems to be doomed to always play the exact same character. It's long overdue that she shows us something different, although this could also easily be attributed to bland scripts. Her chemistry with the male lead was lacking, and the conflict in their relationship near the end was much too forced. Will Kemp sees her having an innocent conversation with his chocolatier rival and immediately jumps to the conclusion that she isn't interested in him and gives up all attempts at communication until the very end of the movie. This is as frustrating as it is lazy in the storytelling deparmtent.
A few other little things also disrupted the flow of the movie, such as: the innkeeper always having time for Lacey Chabert, despite running a humongous hotel almost single-handedly (we get a brief shot of only one other employee mid-way through the movie), or the fact that we see the leads brainstorming ideas for chocolate flavors much more than we actually see them in the kitchen trying out different combinations. Overall, the movie needed to step away from its tried-and-true (and tired) tropes in order to stand out, and maybe also work on the richness of the chemistry between the couple.
Love on the Menu (2019)
Sweet movie with only a few issues.
This is a sweet movie, with better actors from the pool of Hallmark regulars than most. Kavan Smith and Autumn Reeser are both believable, charming, and comfortable in the roles they play (these being no exception). Their chemistry wasn't exactly off the charts, but they still worked well together and their romance was slowly built up (another reviewer mentioned that the use of montages and the passing of time made their budding relationship seem much more organic) rather than pushed too fast. Including the male lead's teenage daughter in the bonding felt natural too, unlike some of the young children in Hallmark movies whose purpose is essentially just to play matchmaker. The movie hits snags with only a few things:
- The ending felt much too short on time. A lot of loose ends were left hanging in regards to the food critic and the future of the restaurant, which was unsatisfying. The movie also could've saved time in a variety of other scenes (or even cut a few) to make time for a bit of a longer ending.
- There were are a few plotlines that seemed to be picked up and dropped again with the lead's daughter that added nothing to her character or the story in the end. One such part comes to mind in which the daughter is suspended from school for hacking into school computers to change her friends' grades after they've been tampered with. This almost seems like the start of a B-story or even a mystery, but this is completely useless to the movie as a whole and is never expanded upon.
- Barbara Niven's character, the boss of the female lead, was one line short of being a cartoon villain. She had no sympathy, no charm, and never even pretended to care about ANYTHING but frozen foods, which seems odd at best and just over-the-top evil at worst.
- A lot of the movie is spent on helping Kavan Smith's character loosen up and allow change to infiltrate his life and his restaurant. By the end, he's accomplished this with the help of his love interest, but Autumn Reeser's character, who is shown at the beginning to be neurotic and almost clinical in her habits of order and cleanliness at home, never gets to benefit from the same character development (aside from one scene where she eventually is coaxed into making dough with her hands). It would have been nice to see them both impact each other's lives equally, rather than focusing so much on just one half of the coin.
Overall, though, this movie is cute and the setting is fun. It was also enjoyable to watch a movie where the frozen food business isn't seen as a massive bad guy (Hallmark's "Appetite for Love" comes to mind). It just could have used a few tweaks.
Country at Heart (2020)
Hallmark gets it right.
After a string of subpar Hallmark movies, I expected nothing special from this movie, and ended up being seriously (and pleasantly) surprised. With their movies being very hit or miss lately, this movie is a total hit. The chemistry between the two leads is incredible, and I actively found myself both rooting for them and being excited for their inevitable romance. Jessy Schram and Niall Matter are also not only playing likable characters, but also playing them very believably.
Also a plus is that this movie at no point feels rushed. The romance takes its time, the story takes its time, and the character growth takes its time. A lot of background was set up in this movie without ever disturbing the forward flow of the plot, especially the turbulent relationship between superstar Duke and male protagonist Grady. (Speaking of Duke, I fully expected him to be an almost villianous caricature of an over-the-top character, but even he was well developed and was both relatable and likable.)
For once, I have no complaints for a Hallmark movie. I was just very impressed. Excited to watch this one again!
Love, of Course (2018)
Two strong leads propel this movie foward.
It's amazing what a difference good actors make. It's easy to get used to the par-for-the-course subpar acting that comes with Hallmark movies, but a movie like this is a pleasant reminder that experienced talent is out there in the Hallmark universe! The two leads played well off of each other, had great chemistry, and worked up organically to their romance. It didn't feel rushed or forced. This movie isn't bursting with autumn ambience (although some nice apple picking and a corn maze is included) as some other Hallmark films released during the fall season, but that's hardly noticeable considering the sweet storyline holds the audience's attention just fine on its own.
Love Under the Olive Tree (2020)
Not an original, but good nonetheless.
I'm actually surprised by the high number of reviews completely pummeling this movie considering it's no worse or better than Hallmark's usual fare. While I do agree that Love Under the Olive Tree is blatant plagiarism off of some of Hallmark's previous movies (although I'm amazed that no one mentioned Pumpkin Pie Wars, as the feuding families trope and Romeo-and-Juliet romance is very reminiscent of it), I actually think this movie is above some of the ones it's copied off of, which earns it a decent score in my book. The actors are believable, the setting is beautiful, the olive oil storyline is different and unique, and the scene in which the grandfathers reunite after years of bad blood is very heartwarming. Also, there are sprinkles of an LGBTQ romance in the periphereals of this movie, and although I would've preferred for Hallmark to drop the hints near the end and confirm it outright, that sort of forward movement -- no matter how slow and/or miniscule -- cannot be undervalued!
On the negative side, outside of the deja vu feeling longtime Hallmark watchers were all no doubt affected with while watching this copy of a copy, this movie seriously downgraded one of its major talents by sticking Shawn Roberts in a side role. He's very charming as the leading man, and definitely much more so than Benjamin Hollingsworth, who was a bit stiff in comparison. The plot itself also could've been a bit stronger, specifically the fact that the entire movie is based around such a tiny land dispute that, by not resolving it civilly, all the characters are made to seem extremely juvenile. The piece of land in question is such an insignificant sliver that both sides of the family could afford to let it go. The female protagonist claims there isn't enough money in the company budget to build the expansion anywhere but connected to the existing building, but apparently no other sides are viable options, only the specific section currently in legal contention. The movie also falls into the most tired plot device of them all: the miscommunication-by-eavesdropping plot, which manufactures trouble between the two leads at exactly the wrong moment. Lastly, leading lady Nicole spends the entire movie trying to create the perfect olive oil for the town contest, but always finds some crucial ingredient missing from the blend. She produces this elusive, magical olive oil mere seconds before the contest begins, but the audience never knows a) what the special missing ingredient is or b) how she even figured out what it is. This epiphany moment is completely (and sadly) missing from the movie.
Love in the Forecast (2020)
Bad acting and equally bad casting.
As cleverly pointed out by another reviewer, Hallmark gets props for one reason and one reason only for this movie: creating a plot different from their usual fare as of late, which usually circles around evil corporations trying to swoop in on family-run businesses. Instead, this movie is almost refreshing in how it takes its time developing a neighbors-to-friends love story, which is a storyline that has the potential to make for a good film if paired with good actors.
As for the negative points of the movie:
- The recurring motif of the science of meteorology being complete garbage, while natural indicators of weather are far superior. It was pushed so hard in this film that I started wondering if there was an anti-science propaganda agenda behind it. If science was truly always so woefully inept at predicting weather patterns, we as a society would've given it up ages ago.
- The seriously bad miscasting of main character Leah's mother, who nobody is surprised to hear is only FOUR YEARS OLDER than her "daughter" Cindy Busby. This woman has been put into a terrible wig and expected to pretend that she's a good twenty years older than she really is.
- Speaking of Cindy Busby, I unfortunately cannot under-emphasize just how much she contributed to this movie being as bad as it was. Ever since she became a Hallmark regular, it feels as if her acting has somehow gone progressively downhill. She over-enunciates, sometimes shouts her lines, is almost hammy with her facial expressions, and is, overall, just not believable. Her performance took me out of the movie multiple times, which is a shame, because Christopher Russell opposite her was doing a much better job in his role.
- Lastly, although it's a small point: it was laughable when the two main characters go fishing and Leah proceeds to pull out a limp, obviously plastic fish that they both pretend is alive and well.
Under the Autumn Moon (2018)
A plot that keeps being repackaged over and over.
This is no-doubt a sweet movie, even if it does play directly into Hallmark's overused plotlines. The struggling-business-versus-the-gigantic-corporation-set-to-buy-it trope is around every corner on Hallmark channel, and it's certainly earned the label "tired." Similarly overdone is the idea of the city-slick businesswoman being quickly charmed by the simplicity of a remote outdoor lifetsyle, which is much, MUCH more ubiquitous than the inverse of a country bumpkin falling in love with the big city. Still, the acting is fairly good, and the romantic B-plot between the secondary characters is super cute. Also a plus for the movie is the fantastic scenery and fall decoration, both of which definitely made the ranch tempting as a vacation destination.
Aside from an incredibly predictable plot, the movie's downfall comes from some strange storytelling decisions. The almost comically wicked coworker competing for the coveted VP position. The mucking out of extremely clean stable stalls. The ranch's "lost and found," which miraculously has a large selection of cute clothes that fit the protagonist perfectly. The very unfortunate make-up choices for Lindy Booth, whose disappearing eyebrows and Barbie pink lipstick are rather distracting throughout the entire movie. The fact that a pair of guests and a competing buyer are present at the end when the hail-mary plan to save the ranch is unveiled to the owners.
However, applause must be given where it is deserved: Hallmark opted to avoid the trope of a character eavesdropping and misunderstanding a conversation, usually leading to the demise of the couple, instead allowing for honest communication and trust between the main characters to be reaffirmed. That scene was unbelievably refreshing!
Falling for You (2018)
Standard Hallmark fare.
As part of Hallmark's Fall Harvest, this movie definitely excels at emphasizing the autumn atmosphere it's aiming to immerse the audience in. Each and every room a character enters is full of fall decorations, leaf garlands, gourds and pumpkins, and when paired with plenty of stereotypically fall activites such as apple picking and baking, the film totally succeeds in putting you in the mood for the season! The small town charm is also in full force with neighbors who all know each other and a bustling main street. Another plus is that after playing many icy, business-oriented characters, lead actress Taylor Cole comes across as much warmer than usual in this role., if not a bit juvenile in her pushiness and lack of any financial knowledge.
Unfortunately, the movie falls apart a bit with its logistics. The radio station, which urgently needs a financial boost, is such a loosey-goosey operation (employees wander in and off the air as they please, an "ON AIR" sign is nowhere to be seen, and an intern does little more than stare at circuit boards) that it takes the audience out of the story a bit. The station also relies on the city for its funding, rather than ad revenue, which this station seems completely oblivious to. Even stranger is how the main character, Taylor Cole's Lacey, manages to rope in her love interest to be, Zac, played by Tyler Hynes, who is in town strictly to work (he frequently has phone calls with a coworker who, despite being in a busy, bustling office space, refers to their project as a small and struggling start-up), to join in with her Bake-Off, a fundraising event for the radio station. The "deal" she strikes with him is that she will promise to teach him how to bake in return for him helping with her finances, and at no point does the male lead pick up on the fact that this deal benefits Lacey alone. He willingly submits himself to baking lessons and sessions of financial advice -- sessions, during which, Lacey refuses to accept his professional advice -- for no good reason. Outside of the Bake-Off, Lacey lives with her aunt in her guesthouse, where she routinely bad-mouths guests and walks into the kitchen for breakfast in the morning in her pajamas while guests are present (!).
However, there are a few twists along the way that don't make this movie entirely predictable. Along with the aforementioned autumn ambience, the movie is worth a watch, although isn't a strong contender for a rewatch.
Love on Iceland (2020)
Missed opportunity for a tour guide romance.
Iceland does a TREMENDOUS JOB making up for an otherwise mundane love story. If you don't already yearn for a trip to Iceland, this movie will change your mind with all of its stunning shots of Icelandic nature and architecture. I give Hallmark kudos for hiring real Icelandic actors (this would seem like a given but you never know with Hallmark) and giving a genuine effort to show off Icelandic food and culture. I would LOVE to see more movies taking place overseas instead of just the usual procedure of shooting in Canada but pretending to be somewhere in the US. (That being said, Iceland would never have this much daylight during the winter.)
Outside of the incredible scenery, however, this movie is nothing special. Its boring love story in which two exes reunite on a trip is saved purely by the setting. What is infinitely more romantic than rekindling love with an ex in Iceland? Falling in love with a sweet tour guide in Iceland. The fact that this fantasy fulfillment was completely thrown aside in favor of the blander option is borderline baffling. Johann the unbelievably thoughtful and handsome tour guide instead gets romance with another character, which is a side story that quickly gets much more interesting than the romance between the leads. (Falling in love with a kind and good-looking native while on vacation is the plot that makes the Hallmark movie "Paris, Wine, and Romance" so good.)
Not only does the main couple lack chemistry, but their story falls flat, made worse by the overused trope of "character A overhears character B saying something that leads to a horrible misunderstanding" (which is completely pushed under the rug without explanation by the end of the movie). This misunderstanding leads to the male lead running off to accept a job across the world, but ultimately changing his mind before he leaves. This extremely unprofessional behavior is completely unnecessary; as pointed out by another reviewer, surely he could've finished a job that would've taken a few days of work at most and then returned to confess his love?
Regardless of its faults, the bland love story still survives because of the beautiful country it's told in. Worth a watch just to see Iceland.
Sailing Into Love (2019)
Overused trope at play.
As many other reviewers have pointed out, this movie's biggest plus is the beautiful scenery and nautical ambience brought by the coastline atmosphere. It definitely lives up to its title with lots of stunning shots of sailboats on the water (although near the end, these sweeping nature shots seemed to be a bit overdone - more to pad out the movie's runtime than anything else), but the movie is dragged down by poor acting and an unbelievably predictable plot.
Leading lady Leah Renee has certainly received her fair share of critique in some of these comments, and while yes, her voice is much too impassive and veering into high-pitched vapid girl territory, her bad acting stood out much more to me. There is never a point when she doesn't make it obvious that she is reading lines rather than attempting to actually be her character; her flat portrayal and wooden intonation are a constant reminder to the audience of her lack of acting skills. To make matters worse, her character isn't all too likable either; most notable is the scene in which her ex-boyfriend plants a seed about her love interest betraying her and she refuses to talk this out with said love interest. Her constant brush-offs and cold shoulders during a misunderstanding she could've easily fixed with a bit of grown-up conversation are a cliche of women in television that's getting downright tired.
The movie's chief problem, however, is that its B-story, next to the blossoming love, is that a beloved nearby island may or may not be for sale for the sake of building a hotel resort. The movie digs its heels into this plotpoint, completely oblivious to the fact that the audience doesn't share the same passion for this relatively insignificant island as its main characters do (specifically, the female lead, who seems to be hanging on to childhood memories more than anything else). What makes this storyline even more frustrating is that Hallmark has milked the "evil development company wants to change the beloved town" angle to death. It's a miracle if you can find a movie these days where a sentimental building isn't being torn down for the sake of condos/hotels/golf courses, and the town has to rally around the preservation of said building. It's getting unthinkingly old.
The film's only saving grace is its scenery and the rest of its cast, who do an adequate job carrying the movie around the dead weight that is Leah Renee.
A Christmas Duet (2019)
Actors are flat as a board.
Boy, oh boy. As wonderful as it is that Hallmark is doing more to fix its diversity problem, this movie was a complete flop, thanks mostly to its flat, unbelievably wooden actors. From the toneless main characters, to the over-the-top secondary characters, to the almost Stepford-esque parents, there isn't a single ounce of talent in this movie.
The movie's love interests, Jesse and Averie, used to sing together. The movie implies that they had a bit of a sour break-up back in the day, especially given that Averie refuses to talk about him or their most popular Christmas song to her best friend, but still, she's rewatching their music video almost every other scene in this movie. Even stranger, the two of them interact without much emotion at all once they meet up at Averie's inn; there's no lingering animosity from their past, but also no visible leftover chemistry either. The movie is putting very little effort into convincing us that these two still have feelings for each other, and the actors don't seem all that convinced of their characters' relationship either.
To top it all off, this movie has no sense of climax or unpredictability. Jesse and Averie agree to sing their song together once more, only for him to--surprise--be called out for business. He doesn't even leave the inn (he actually just sits in his room rewatching their music video, yet again) before deciding to stay and sing with her after all. There is zero suspense in this plot; there is not a single audience member who doesn't know exactly how this movie will turn out.
This is a movie I'll turn the TV off during if it's on again next year.