"When Love Comes" is, like many of the recent NZ films, is a "relationship" drama. The plot is slight, but not weak. Don't expect too much to happen- this is a film driven by characters, not by plot, and unlike "Saving Grace", does a good job of it. Obviously, a film like this will live and die on its cast, and thankfully "When Love Comes" boasts a strong ensemble. Rena Owen is good as washed-out torch singer Katie Keane, but Simon Prast shines as "Stephen". His performance is wonderfully understated (to those of us who remember him hamming it up in "Gloss"), and yet powerful at the same time. The weak links are Dean O'Gorman, who is quite good but isn't able to carry the film, and Simon Westaway, whose character Eddie is woefully underwritten- I'm not sure the poor guy knew quite what to do with the part.
"When Love Comes" puts a slightly different spin on the old "young guy wrestles with his homosexuality" to the degree that straight audiences will enjoy it too. However, I think the heterosexual relationship between Katie and Eddie is the least convincing, (possibly because of the problem with Eddie's character) and certainly lacks the conviction of the Mark/Stephen, Fig/Sally, and Stephen/Katie plotlines.
Otherwise, enjoyable.
"When Love Comes" puts a slightly different spin on the old "young guy wrestles with his homosexuality" to the degree that straight audiences will enjoy it too. However, I think the heterosexual relationship between Katie and Eddie is the least convincing, (possibly because of the problem with Eddie's character) and certainly lacks the conviction of the Mark/Stephen, Fig/Sally, and Stephen/Katie plotlines.
Otherwise, enjoyable.