Love's Portrait (2022 TV Movie) User Reviews

A sweet Irish romance that offers a second chance at happiness for two sweet people.

[cgvsluis · 8/10 · 6 September 2022]

I was eagerly looking forward to seeing this Hallmark film and I was not disappointed, it was lovely. This was a fairytale like story in which an American Museum receives an anonymous donation of a painting that looks exactly like one of their employees Lily. The director of the museum who is both friend and boss to Lily send her to Ireland to find out who sent the painting and who painting the painting...this is our young widow Lily's journey and subsequent search in Ireland.

Filled with beautiful Irish scenery...Lily meets the painter who has been dreaming of her since he was eight and always adds a Lily as a kind of signature in his paintings because it was his mother's favorite flower.

Sweet, lovely and romantic...the romantics out there are going to love this film. Big thumbs up from me.

A sweet quest for love

[ask-1967 · 8/10 · 9 September 2022]

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie with it's quest to answer a question to which we already know the answer. The real point is when will Lily discover who the painter is and will William get up the courage to tell her the truth. How the painting travelled to Lily's museum in the U. S. is also a sweet story and Gerry Herbert as Jonathan O'Brien plays an important piece of the puzzle. I thought the acting was good and really enjoyed the interaction between Aubrey Reynolds as Lilly and Richard McWilliams as William. However, my favorite character was Saoirse played wonderfully by Kathryn McKiernan. While everyone else is searching for answers or true love, Saoirse is comfortable in her own skin and her lot in life. McKiernan plays this role with such joy and sincerity that it's hard not to fall in love with Saoirse and her small life, which is not small at all. Her dedication to the Post, her parents legacy, and the joy of her little village is very compelling and Kathryn McKiernan brings this character to life wonderfully. Unlike most Hallmark movies, this one was actually filmed in Ireland, not Canada which would have been a stretch. The scenery was beautiful and it was filmed beautifully as well. I truly loved this movie and it took me back to my visits to the Emerald Isle.

Soulmate? Destiny?

[Jackbv123 · 6/10 · 5 September 2022]

This is a fairly standard quest story with some romantic fantasy thrown in. The quest is for the source and history of the painting. Lily and William spend much of the movie on a leisurely paced quest. I found it a little too leisurely.

There is a bit of obsession with a cross between finding/having a soulmate and destiny. That's the romantic fantasy part because the story seems to prove one or the other or both.

I had trouble finding much chemistry between Aubrey Reynolds and Richard McWilliams. McWilliams was restrained and William's secret (which we learn very early) keeps an invisible barrier between them.

The boss, Michelle, was over the top annoying in the beginning but quieted down at least a little after that.

This movie was mostly a miss for me. It wasn't because of Aubrey Reynolds who held her own and her looks are attractive and mysterious at the same time. My main impression of the movie is a slow shallow story which wasn't helped by the obsession with the idea of a soulmate.

But I think many, especially less right brained people than me, will love this.

Beautiful film

[sandpark-70052 · 9/10 · 6 September 2022]

I enjoyed this film very much. The accents were real and not faked as in many Hallmark movies. I recognized many places they visited as sites we traveled to on our tours in Ireland. The scenery and music made me feel as if I was back there again. The story was sweet and fanciful without need to be realistic - it was like an Irish story being told where you don't know how much is real and how much is fantasy but it doesn't really matter in the end. All that matters is the love and connections made. I think the main characters had chemistry and were believable. I don't understand why the female lead carried an umbrella while the male lead did not since it didn't look like it was raining at the time that they were visiting each O'Brien in the area.

One annoyance was the friend/boss Michelle who acted wooden and unrealistically pushy.

like the gentleness

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 15 April 2023]

Museum curator Lily (Aubrey Reynolds) has not dated since the death of her husband. Her boss is desperate to get her back out there. The whole work family gets involved when the museum gets a portrait that looks exactly like her. They have no artist name but they do have Ireland. Postal siblings William Murphy (Richard McWilliams) and Saoirse Murphy (Kathryn McKiernan) gives her the name J. O'Brien which is not that helpful. They know the truth, but is keeping it from her.

I like the gentleness of the journey. The Irish countryside helps a lot. I would like William to have more energy. I get that his subterfuge does leave him a bit hesitant. It doesn't explain after his reveal. She really shouldn't make it all the way back to America. If he doesn't stop her at the airport, he doesn't deserve her. That's the one thing I would change.

A beautiful story!

[danliftman · 10/10 · 5 September 2022]

Love's Portrait is a 1st rate romance. I was instantly drawn to it when I read that it takes place in Ireland. I love young romance and I knew I'd enjoy seeing the scenery of Ireland. I was right.

The cinematography was outstanding.

All the performers are wonderful. You'll fall in love with the two leads. At each moment of the story, I eagerly awaited the next. There were many very enjoyable funny moments, but the romantic elements were the best.

Art lovers will enjoy that element of the plot. You'll definitely be cheering for things to work out well for the lead couple. They're really charming. I'm not ashamed to say that this 70-year-old guy cried tears of joy at the end.

Love's Portrait is delightful. I can't think of a better way to spend two hours. I'd watch it again right now.

Is it fate? Do we have that special "soul mate?"

[TxMike · 29 November 2023]

In this Hallmark movie we first see a group of ladies who work at a museum. They receive a painting of a lovely lady and it looks exactly, not similar, yes exactly like one of the curators. They are all puzzled and dumbfounded when she tells the others that she has never posed for such a portrait. Is it really "Love's Portrait?"

They manage to find the shipping receipt and figure out it came from Ireland. So the lady who is boss really tries to convince her that it might be fate, she should go to Ireland and figure it out. At first very reluctant, when she relents her boss presents her with the travel itinerary, airline tickets and all.

Fortunately most of the movie is filmed in Ireland with Irish actors. They make excellent use of the beautiful Irish scenery.

Though, I must remark that they cheat a bit. Hallmark movies are noted for waiting until one minute from the end for what my wife and I call "The Hallmark Kiss." Well there is one, right at one minute from the end, but that is the second one. The first one comes at about 15 minutes before the end.

Oh, well, we will forgive them. It is a suitably entertaining movie. At home, streaming on Peacock.

Good movie but...

[Klaaatu · 6/10 · 13 September 2022]

This was a nice movie to pass the time, but the story and direction didn't give the main actor much to say or do to become a likeable leading man.

There were some interesting concepts in the movie, but they were unrealized. Hopefully, they consider this for future Hallmark movies...

The main actress was great, as was the co-starring actress.

If it wasn't for thewoodennacting by the leading man, this could've been a much better movie. Unfortunately, I lost interest half way through and decided to write this review.

IMDB needs to show a character count if they expect all reviews to be at least six hundred characters...

A little bit of magic, with a happy ending.

[miztang · 9/10 · 6 October 2022]

This is a happily ever after type movie. If you like fairy tale like movie where there is a happy ending, then you'll probably like it.

I knew what I was getting into before watching it, and still I loved it. These days there are too many movies will a lot of tragedy, bloodshed, negativity and everyone is busy to push an agenda. This movie is not one of them.

If you are looking for a high rush of adrenaline, or want to cry at the end, then this is not the movie for you. However, if you want a relaxed time with a jolly romantic mood, then you will not be disappointed.

The acting is decent, and as far as I'm concerned, the story is original too. Although I'd not say it's a movie I'll remember forever, but it's definitely one I'm happy that I watched.

Okay Hallmark Movie

[herrcarter-92161 · 6/10 · 8 January 2024]

This Hallmark movie was just okay. I really liked the premise, with the fantasy element of the character of William seeing his future love Lily in his dreams, then painting her portrait and then having that portrait end up mysteriously in the same art gallery where Lily worked. This fantasy storyline is an extremely romantic one. The movie could have taken much better advantage of the inherent romance in this story than it did.

I did like Aubrey Reynold's performance as Lily. She was cute, sweet and very likable. Her performance was much better than that of Richard McWilliams as William. His performance was wooden and lacked the necessary passion to make the romance between the two really compelling. The performance Kathryn McKieran as his sister Saorise was much better. She was lively and had a sparkle that he lacked. I did like the fact that they filmed most of the movie on location in Ireland, and the scenery was certainly spectacular. I also liked that they got real Irish actors to play the roles of the Irish people, though, as said, Richard McWilliams was just so so in his role. Maybe he was the best Irish actor they could come up with, given their limited budget.

The mystery of the identity of J. O'Brien, the sender of the painting, was somewhat engaging, and kept you drawn in for most of the story. The big reveal of who it was sort of fell flat, though. It needed to be something bigger and more compelling. I also didn't like that artist who painted the painting of Lily was revealed so early in the story to be William. Having that also be a mystery might have made for a better story. The story dragged a bit in the middle, with Lily and William galavanting around the Irish countryside but not really connecting too much with each other romantically.

I found the reasons for her rejecting him toward the end to be pretty flimsy also. This seemingly relationship-ending conflict is a staple of romance movies, but it didn't seem very believable in this case. Of course, him making the grand gesture of flying across the ocean to win her back was good. I think it should've taken place back in Ireland, though. Finally, the character of Lily's matchmaking boss was over-the-top annoying. I really could've done without her character, or had her be a bit more subtle.

All in all, this was an okay Hallmark romance. Certainly not the worst I've seen, but hardly the best. I guess I'm mostly disappointed because the movie could've been so much better with a more compelling script, better acting (at least on the part of Richard McWilliams), more chemistry between the two leads and less telegraphing of the surprises in the movie. The premise, as I said, was ripe for a really engaging, romantic story, but the execution was, sadly, subpar.

Relaxing movie, highlighted by the beauty of Ireland.

[nptomey · 5/10 · 11 September 2022]

From the opening of the movie, the conclusion was already known. Hallmark did a reasonable job with it.

I was annoyed with Lily's boss at the begining of the show and with Lily's obsession with her dead husband. She struck me as being quite self absorbed.

It carried over to her arrival in Ireland, culminating in running William off the road. The plot thickens when William caught up with her at the post. His anger turning into shock when he saw her.

William did an excellent job of expressing his shock.. She struck me as being completely disengaged with her costars. As the movie progressed, she became a bit more connected when they began the quest to find out how a portrait of her showed up at the museum and who sent it. While tracking down the person who sent the portrait, we were treated to the beauty of Ireland.

This was a satisfying movie and a lot more calm than many Hallmark movies. It was a nice departure from the usual. Using actual Irish actors was soothing. I have always loved an Irish accent. Not a heart throbber, but sweet.

A Beautiful Story Well Told

[garysteinweg · 9/10 · 6 September 2022]

This was a beautiful movie, although a bit slowly paced, with beautiful country scenery throughout. Others have expanded on the plot, so I'll not replow that ground. A few observations, though.

I was reminded a lot of another movie from 2015, "The Age of Adaline." Lily (Aubrey Williams) showed much of the same grace as did Adaline (Blake Lively) throughout the movie. Coincidentally, William (Richard Williams) shared the same first name as did Adaline's first true love (Willliam, played by Harrison Ford). Also, a museum formed a basis of both stories.

The only shortcoming in this story, in my opinion, is the part played by Richard Williams. He's far too "wooden" in his portrayal of a person meeting and falling in love with the imaginary dream girl he painted from memory several years earlier. He doesn't smile much and he doesn't say much until the end of the movie, and even then, he doesn't show much emotion as everything reconciles at the end of the movie in typical Hallmark fashion.

This IS a movie worth watching a second time.

Best as background

[ladymustang-12160 · 3/10 · 12 September 2022]

I love Hallmark movies, and it's rare that I find one that really disappoints. This one did. There was no real chemistry between the two leads for me, and the whole "he saw her in a dream" thing seemed to give them an excuse not to really have to do any work to show them getting closer. I didn't really buy the love story. I'm not a big fan of the mystical "destined to be together" stuff either, and the whole story really revolved around accepting that. It was pleasant enough, although some of the effects (particularly the bike riding scenes as someone else mentioned) are bad, but there just wasn't enough story there to require your full attention. Put it on to keep you company while you're doing something else.

Loved this movie

[pattersonjamie-12079 · 9/10 · 8 October 2022]

I need to say up front that you have to accept the fantasy portion of the film where William dreams of Lily throughout his life and paints her, including birth marks. Once you you get past that, the movie is beautiful. The acting is exceptional. The scenery of western Ireland was beautiful. The Irish characters were wonderful with their friendliness, accents and sayings. I've been to Ireland four times and found the characters to be real. The only thing unusual was the lack of Gaelic.

Overall, a beautiful movie where the main characters find love and heal from previous loses. Highly recommend.

Touching Movie

[kmoore-08585 · 10/10 · 13 September 2022]

I really loved the movie. She thought her husband was her one and only and she couldn't/shouldn't have anyone else because that was her one and only. But she had to go through this process in order to realize she could move on and it was ok - without feeling guilt. This was a different type of story, which was nice.

I was a little disappointed in her last statement when he asked her if that meant she loves him too and she just said, "it just might" - with all the passion I was feeling at the end, I felt she could have said something a little bit better than that. I will be saving it on my DVR. Great movie!

Aubrey Reynolds Is luminous in this magical Irish Love Story

[MichaelByTheSea · 9/10 · 15 September 2022]

For those who unfairly accuse Hallmark of recycling the same old story over and over, here's a surprisingly unique love story that's flavored with some strange Irish Magic. I thought it was fun and, as described by Lily (played by Aubrey Reynolds), "intriguing". And the accents were lovely (although I had the captions on just in case).

Aubrey Reynolds literally glows (especially during that scene where she was sitting on some steps surrounded by fallen orange leaves under a tree with bright yellow leaves). She has that quintessential beautiful "girl next door" look that is very captivating. And her character is quite sweet, thoughtful and kind. Plus, she has an interesting job as a museum curator. In short, she's a real "catch".

William, played effectively by Richard McWilliams, seems to have been brooding a lot since the last American he fell for left him without any explanation. But he seems like a good guy. I liked the scene where he was understandably angry after being run off the road (although he was also being inattentive) and becomes literally speechless when he sees Lily, who is quite literally "the woman of his dreams".

One of the best things about this movie is that it isn't filmed in Vancouver, the perennial stand in for countless American towns and cities. Hallmark has used Ireland for more than a few good movies lately and I love it (As Luck Would Have It, The Presence of Love, Forever in My Heart). These movies were not only shot in Ireland, they were all quite good- as is Love's Portrait. Many of the scenes are set in charming gardens and quaint village streets, and there's lots of ancient stone walls and ruins. It was truly spectacular.

Jessi Melton shines in a small but well written role of a knowledgeable assistant (Kate) and I loved William's sister Saoirse, played by Kathryn McKiernan. She has a great accent, beautiful long red hair, and really sparkles throughout the movie. I'd love to see a sequel in which she falls in love and gets to be the lead.

Lily's boss Michelle is a bit over the top but, importantly, she calls Lily "one of my best friends" (otherwise her work place interference in Lily's personal life would have necessitated a visit with someone in HR ). She does have a good line though ("You're not getting any younger and pretty soon your flawless skin is gonna start looking like mine. You've gotta strike while you're hot."),

Random Observations:

The driving scenes looked more fake than usual.

Saoirse doesn't recall a J. O'Brien coming in "5 weeks ago" to mail a 2'x3' framed painting even though she was the only person in the Post that day and the painting would have required an extra large and custom sized packaging. And it wouldn't have been cheap. She wouldn't have forgotten such an odd mailing request just 5 weeks earlier.

Why didn't William have other paintings on display? The museum thinks he's so talented they sent someone to look for him. One would think he'd have created other works besides a painting of Lily and some sketches.

Loved the local vernacular: "Lob the gob" (misheard by Lily as "Lob the glob") during a funny scene.

A double "almost kiss"? Really? I'm sick of pretty much any "almost kiss" Hallmark moments at this point, but two in one movie? Ugh.

In context, "we've wasted so much time" is easily the dumbest dialogue in the movie (although "sorry, I can't" is right up there). The unrealistic and forced conflict in the 4th Quarter (a common problem with hallmark movies) was just annoying.

Similar script different characters

[drbreakwell · 4/10 · 11 September 2022]

Remember the story about the bridal veil? Similar idea, different characters. Who painted the portrait? Predictable story. Boy meets girl. Quest to find artist. Boy and girl begin looking and eventually both start caring for each other. Another strange thing is how phony the male riding the bike was. And the female driving in a strange land should be more careful, that too was real phony. You would think the male lead would get out the drawings and voila mystery solved. But that would be the end of the story. Why would anyone invite a stranger to dinner? Would she not need to get to a hotel? And a picture of their "new friend." Now, she has to find a place to stay? How dumb. And her car won't start--how strange! Hallmark looked promising for the fall movie lineup. Not likely, the only thing is these movies are a time-waster or something playing in the background while doing something else.

Beautiful Romantic Movie

[gennie-32442 · 10/10 · 13 January 2024]

I enjoyed the movie a lot and everything about it - the interesting romantic plot, the talented and handsome actors and the beautiful scenery. It is about the idea of soulmates, do they exists and seeing your soulmate in your dreams. I loved this idea, because like William, who saw Lily in his dreams and painted a portrait of her before they met, I "saw" my sweetheart a long time before we met. However, I described him in detailed writing and even described one of our trips, which would take place eight years after I wrote about it. I was wondering, is this random. How can it happen, but perhaps we are true soulmates.

I love the idea in the movie that if you meet your soulmate, you can't let them get away, and you have to do something to make your dream a reality. Lily and William almost missed each other. What happens, how your dreams correspond to reality is up to you.

I would highly recommend this movie!

Mary Sue's reign supreme...

[Lily-32 · 3/10 · 6 September 2022]

The acting was wooden. The story was not without potential, but as per usual as of late for Hallmark, unrealized.

The entire weight of everything lies with William but Lilly (who's name I literally couldn't remember while watching it) was the ultimate Mary Sue. William did nothing wrong but somehow she's justified in her anger and he's expected to go after her? At least she apologizes later but only after he crosses the ocean to her and she was still totally in the wrong.

Really, most of it wasn't bad except for her character. She had no flaws (as far as the story is concerned, though to the viewer she has many as do all Mary Sue's). There is no real conflict and what they try to contrive is weak. I was 45 minutes in wondering about her character and why we should like or care about her, and I couldn't find anything. She was too "perfect" in all her interactions even when doing stupid things like sleeping in her car and not going back to ask for help and looking for a repair shop that clearly wasn't auto repair.

The attempt to be inclusive with the deaf characters and the signing was poorly done and another missed opportunity. It would've made more sense for the second instance in Ireland to have happened in the middle of the search not at the very end as the very last one. The way they did it made you forget it was even a thing so when it came back again it was so awkward. And it made it seem like that contact should've carried more weight but it was over before you knew it. And how was it the the one they finally needed wasn't in any of their post records. Just felt so clunky.

Like I said, potential wasted again. The rest of the cast (at least William and Saoirse) could actually act and in the beginning the story held some interest but it fizzled quickly.

Anyway, disappointing.

A beautiful fairytale

[Mlle_Chouette · 8/10 · 3 February 2023]

A truly beautiful movie in stunning Ireland. It was done so softly, so touching, unlike many Hallmark movies that just go bluntly. Don't get me wrong, it's still a predictable romance with a touch of mystery, but we all love it for this, of course, otherwise you wouldn't be here.

I must say that while the main actor was a bit rough and stiff (understandable from the context of the movie though), the lead actress is purely angelic and so so beautiful. She was so sweet and caring, like a fairy of an elf. I would be disappointed if Peter Jackson doesn't call her for the next movie. The secondary character of Saorsie was nice too with a lovely message.

All in all, it's a nice movie to spend an evening with, absolutely recommend.

Loves Portrait

[celestejaworski · 10/10 · 10 October 2022]

I loved this movie, watched it several times, Aubrey was great, Richard was so good to he also good in those Dragon Slayer movies, Aunt deidrea, jimmy, shop person made me laugh, the actor towards the end was good too, seeing the country of ireland makes me want to visit someday, the movie comes on again on sunday oct 16 at 3pm eastern time i will watch it again, richard has beautiful eyes , I laughed when i saw some of these reviews of richard I didnt feel he came across as some of the bad comments, I liked some of those places they were ati i think one of them was a abbey, the church pretty .

Nice love story

[MickyG333 · 8/10 · 15 April 2024]

8.0 stars.

An American woman goes in search of the mysterious Irishman who painted a portrait of her. Everything surrounding the picture is unknown, except for the fact that he's a very good painter and he lives in Ireland.

She goes to Ireland in search of the painter who may or may not wish to be found. How did he paint her so beautifully, what is his style, how will she find him and what will she do when she does finally discover who this enigmatic artist is?

The story is fun and fascinating as she and her helpers journey through the immediate vicinity of Ireland in search of the painter. We, the audience, are made aware of who the mysterious artist is within the first ten minutes of the film, so there's no real spoiler to be had here. But I will let you see for yourself, so do a solid for you and watch 'Love's Portrait', because it's a great romance.

Ridiculous premise

[EPMD57 · 4/10 · 15 September 2022]

The script requires you to buy into a silly premise that drives the entire plot. I wouldn't have minded it that much if it didn't affect all of the subsequent interactions between the lead characters -- but it did.

The setting was pretty great, of course. They could have shown more of Ireland and I wouldn't have complained. The lead actress was a natural beauty with a calm demeanour. I'd watch her in a dozen of these movies, so I hope she keeps making them. Her love interest, on the other hand, spent the first half of the movie looking annoyed and muttering lines like he was heading to his own execution. That's an odd choice for a romance. His sister was a lot more fun and connected better with the lead.

Honestly, they should have just made this movie about the lead woman and the lead guy's sister becoming friends. The romance seemed awkward and detached from reality.