Appetite for Love (2016 TV Movie) User Reviews

Nice

[MIssM19 · 6/10 · 15 January 2017]

I love these type of movies in which the girl who now lives in a big city goes back home to fix something or somehow ends up there looking for something she is missing.

The boat scene with the beer? Laughed out loud. Movies like this win me over when the guy looks at the girl like she is his everything, (Of course there gotta be chemistry to actually feel it) this was no exception. Yet, the end makes me wonder a few things, did she quit her fancy work in a big city to a be wife in a small town? Does she work from there? The restaurant is working in the way she accomplished to convince the bosses, but that's all we know.

Despite the doubts these type of movies tend to generate, it's worth the watch.

Good appetite

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 8 December 2022]

Andrew Walker, along with Hallmark completest sake, was my main reason for seeing 'Appetite for Love'. He is one of the Hallmark regulars for good reason and is one of not many consistently good ones, even with characters that are not always likeable and even in the misfires (luckily he has actually been in more winners than misfires in my view). Taylor Cole has been a lot more variable, when her material is good she is charming but when the material isn't she is too much of an ice queen.

2016's 'Appetite for Love' succeeded more than it failed, though it did have potential to be better considering Walker's talent and how cute the premise was. As far as the hit and miss 2016 Countdown to Valentine's Day Hallmark batch goes, 'Appetite for Love' is closer to the quite good 'All Things Valentine', while not being quite on that level, than the lacklustre and often weak 'Dater's Handbook'. Definitely worth a look in spite of its few though quite big flaws.

Which are going to be mentioned first. It is too heavy on the hostility in the first act particularly, which was not always easy to watch, and the film did go overboard on Cole's character's uncalled for rudeness which made her difficult to warm to.

Not to mention it made a crucial decision, which was pretty much a complete and too neat 180, hard to believe and made the character in question look rather naive. It is predictable, with the outcome never in doubt.

This all sounds that 'Appetite for Love' is bad. It isn't, and that has already been made clear by me. Walker is immensely likeable and charming, never overplaying while not phoning in. Despite starting off too clinical for my liking early on, Cole as she warms into the role and the character relaxes matches Walker's charm rather than being an ice queen. The supporting characters are solid and the characters aren't too much like stereotypical ciphers.

It is well filmed with lovely scenery, while the music isn't too constant or over-scored. Most of the writing is fine and balances playful and witty comedic moments with not too schmaltzy or sugary dramatic ones. The story is predictable with things happening too neatly, but it is also crisply paced and light hearted, not taking itself too seriously while not relying on forced jokiness.

Overall, decent if uneven. 6/10.

Ok

[ritakc-46893 · 6/10 · 12 February 2019]

Formula movie. Wish Hallmark used local film locations. Question: what was that refrigerator in her aunt's home??? Loved it!

Refrigerator

[peahead-52265 · 7 July 2019]

The movie was cute but the refrigerator in the aunts house stopped my heart does anyone known brand or anything due to its being filmed in Canada. I guess it's a Canadian brand. Anyone?????

Two great leads not so great film

[MickyG333 · 7/10 · 1 March 2023]

7.3 stars.

I love both leads, they are in my top five female and male acting powerhouses for Hallmark movies. The story could have been better, but it's so cookie cutter it would be a tall order to make it original or special in any way. This same formula has been beaten to death, the woman leaves her hometown and her boyfriend behind to go to the big city, now she's back in town 15 years later, boy and girl meet again etc... This one is no different than the rest of the worn out plots, same blueprint and now it's just boring. The chemistry between Cole and Walker is palpable, that's the only positive in this film.

Complete 180

[linimi · 4/10 · 22 April 2021]

After the complete hostility I'm not sure why the guy would give her the time of day. All of a sudden he's taking her fishing after how consistently nasty she acted?

Yummy romance

[phd_travel · 8/10 · 9 December 2016]

This Hallmark romance is above average. The dialog is a little better written than usual and the pre ending drama is more convincing than the usual contrived problem.

Taylor Cole is beautiful and has a kind of 80s model look. She is tasked by her big corporation to make a small town diner restaurant come into line with the standard menu and look of the chain they are launching. She has to go back to the small town she left years ago. And the restaurant is run by her ex boyfriend played quite convincingly by Andrew Walker. The scenery is quite pretty with the lake and such. Also there is a point to the premise with quality food over the bad quality franchise food we get in many chain restaurants.

There are some bits of humor that work like her new name to go in line with her new persona. Her new city boyfriend exemplifies the corporate minded guy you know she won't end up with.

Worth one watch.

Too much hostility

[msarajoy · 2/10 · 9 June 2021]

This is just me, so nobody needs to tell me I am wrong kay ... Well, I watch Hallmark shows for sweetness and to restore the soul (again, that is just me).

So imagine my shock with this show. The quarrelling is alarming and too much like unpleasant real life to be enjoyable to watch. The hostility levels are so high, it made me cringe.

I think the 2 leads may actually dislike each other in real life!

The lead female role is so unpleasant, she is not watchable.

"Oh actually it's Mina" and she is SO rude and arrogant with her ex schoolmates. She is really unlikable.

liked this movie

[jewhitmer25 · 8/10 · 21 July 2021]

There are some Hallmark actors who are consistantly excellant: Andrew, W. Walker, Taylor Cole and Marcus Rosen are on that list. In fact when I saw that Andrew and Marcus were both in this movie I was torn, who should I root for? Who do I hope gets the girl?

Kudos to Andrew and Taylor, good job, chemistry was spot on , banter was amusing, and the script was the typical Hallmark fare that we all enjoy. The movie provides all the Hallmark charm that we have come to expect and look forward to.

The supporting actors were good and the relationships were fun to watch. I particularly enjoyed Alley Mills as Tallilah Jones, she was enchanting. Marcus Rosner as Reed, what can I say, he's a very good actor and I always enjoy his movies, but don't enjoy him as the heavy, with his dimples and smile he is good-guy charming.

Not the best, but better than most.

My advice: watch this movie at least once.

Typical insipid Hallmark

[caseybones · 4/10 · 16 June 2019]

Nothing new here folks, move on. The only good thing about this movie was the gorgeous scenery. Vancouver is so beautiful

As expected: The boyfriend is a corporate dolt and a total stuffy jerk. The old boyfriend is a down-to-earth good guy full of angst and passion for everything good and noble. The female lead returns from her glamorous job in the big city to save the country rubes from themselves but sees the light and finds that small town living is the way to go. Home town folks have hearts of gold except the mean girls. Hallmark continues to ignore any logic and thinks we are too stupid to know that apples are not ripe on the trees at Valentine's Day.

Bait and switch...

[wallerby · 1/10 · 25 September 2018]

Why does Hallmark insist on using the same actors over and over to remake movies using the same plots over and over, filmed in Canada and written to look like they were made in the US? Is it because nobody wants to see a movie about people in Vancouver? Next time you make one about Tennessee, please take the time to learn about the people there.

Charming and feel-good

[jml1988 · 8/10 · 8 November 2021]

This was such a cute movie! Predictable, sure, but it played out perfectly. I loved the small town setting, it made me want to live there! The restaurant menu writing was also a fun concept.

Replying to oldcardude replying to Bait and Switch

[teresahp · 5/10 · 9 February 2020]

I totally agree with that person about putting some effort into getting to know about the people and their culture of the city or town they're supposedly representing beforehand. Yes I am a lifetime Tennessean and I can't tell you how many times this movie made me wince. I don't care if they use the same leading actors or themes. It's not that hard to find some of the supporting actors or actresses that live in that area they've chosen to use for their movies. No there are no apples to pick here in February, let alone full on vegetable gardens.

Re: Bait and Switch

[oldcardude · 9/10 · 7 February 2019]

Why do you care where the movie was filmed? How could that possibly matter? Do you represent some Tennessee Chamber of Commerc or something? As if you could tell the difference unless you were actually a resident of the city it was filmed in. In that case, Hooray for You! You're almost famous... adjacent. Quit your whining about location and enjoy an enjoyable film. And if you don't like remakes with familiar themes and actors, write something all new and never before seen by audiences anywhere. Oh, and then act in your grand production yourself. I'm sure you can pull it off, Shakespeare (Oh, wait. He wasn't completely original, either). And if you can't manage any of that, just change the channel. Nobody wants to hear your "expert" opinion about a simple made for TV romantic movie. The rest of us weren't expect an Academy Award film. Just an enjoyable story with enjoyable actors. And that's exactly what we got.

A predictable but pleasant comedy.

[zutterjp48 · 8/10 · 26 December 2022]

A predictable comedy because we have the classic elements: a woman has to go back to her home town that she left 15 years ago, she left also a boyfriend. On the other side this woman is in relationship with colleague.

On the road Mina must stop her car because there are cows and immediately she meets Clay, her ex-boyfriend. Later she goes to the restaurant and learns that Clay is the manager of the restaurant.

Then come the classical moments of tension between them about the management of the restaurant and at the same Mina begins to remember herlife in Sycamore Springs (eating an apple, climbing on a roof): also the typical moments of doubts and confusion after the arrival of Reed at the town.

A pleasant comedy with good poerformances of Taylor Cole, Andrew W. Walker, Alleys Mills, Marcus Rosner, Robert Moloney, Fiona Vroom, Jenn Griffin, Morgan Taylor Campbell and Michael Kopsa.