grammajanie-28811 Reviews

Something's Brewing (2023 TV Movie)

Enjoyed the cast, a nice change in story line.

[7/10 · 10 March 2024]

This one is a bit of a diamond in the rough. Good story line and a decent cast. Absolutely loved seeing Jason Cook here, remember him from Days of Our Lives - and, yes, he's aged well. Great smile. It's my first encounter with Kristi Murdock - lovely girl and she did a nice job. Her friend did a good job supporting and the daughter was cute and her role well done. Overall, a pleasant experience and, my most important barometer, I'd watch it again.

It did have shortfalls, of course, being low budget, etc. The sound quality was poor at times - the "background " music drowned out the voices several times. The styling was pretty bad for most of the movie, very uncomplimentary clothing for female lead - was there a sale on mustard colored tops? Most of the shoes looked like they were from a rummage sale.

The pacing was very slow. But. It's a made for tv romcom, so we give it some leeway, right? When I'm in a mellow mood and just want to be entertained, I'll enjoy seeing this again.

Sense & Sensibility (2024 TV Movie)

Gorgeous scenery, nice try.

[7/10 · 26 February 2024]

This was better than I had thought it would be. I'm not an enthusiast of "period" drama and expected to delete part-way through. I was truly surprised that it held my attention. I came to quite like the main characters and felt they did a decent job. The lead actress is lovely and talented. The countryside and overall scenery were gorgeous, a truly enjoyable, refreshing part of the movie. The costuming was absolutely atrocious. They seemed unable to pick a period of clothing and stick with it, even if one could ignore the gaudiness of the colors etc. The poor cast looked like they had been clothed by a trashy theater troupe...odd, since some pieces looked newly made.

Overall, after seeing all the of Hallmark's Loveuary offerings, this one ranks second for me behind "An American in Austen" .

An American in Austen (2024 TV Movie)

Perfect

[9/10 · 19 February 2024]

I rarely give a movie this high a rating. I was not expecting even to watch the whole thing - thought I'd delete within a half hour. I'd read the Austen novels so many years ago that I thought I wouldn't "get" the correlation between those and this novel. But. I was ever so wrong. The period flashback was so lovely that it pulled me in and I hated to leave. The ending was just right and the rest was delightfully well acted. Bravo to a great cast and the heroine was perfect in both time periods.

Of the three "loveuary" hallmarks, this is by far my favorite. I'd definitely watch it again. Thank you for a quality movie.

Baked with a Kiss (2022)

Good movie, likeable cast and worthy of re-watching.

[8/10 · 7 February 2024]

A sweet movie. Far above most UP offerings. Solid and likeable main cast, nice scenery, good sound quality and lacking the ridiculous melodrama of misunderstanding/ break-ups, etc that usually ensue 10 minutes before the end of the movie, so an extra bravo for that. Love the lead actress. I wasn't familiar with her but enjoyed her performance, as well as the second female lead and the male lead. The parents were mostly annoying, but they were supposed to be.

Is it Oscar material? Of course not, but I felt uplifted after watching it and became invested in it very early on - a plus for these movies. I'd definitely watch it again.

My Norwegian Holiday (2023 TV Movie)

Well worth the watch.

[10/10 · 2 December 2023]

I rarely ever give a 10 in a review but I can't think of anything I'd change here. To say it's a great romcom doesn't do it justice. This is 2 hours of depth, humor, and an outstanding cast. Add beautiful scenery and 2 leads who catch fire from the first scene and go up from there. It keeps you involved and intrigued from the start and by the time you get to the end, you don't want it to be over. Not your generic hallmark movie at all. Bravo to the writers, producer, director and everybody else - there was not one wrong step. It was about so much more than a romance. It'll certainly get several re-watches over the season and beyond.

Rhiannon Fish is becoming my favorite actress out of a stable of many good ones. And the grandmother was delightfully wise and sweet.

Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas (2023 TV Movie)

New-ish plot and great cast

[8/10 · 1 December 2023]

This is a terrific Christmas movie and one that I would happily watch again. The 2 leads were sweet together. I love the nuances between them - casual interest, then more curiosity and a natural progression that not all of these Hallmark movies contain. The plot itself actually seems new-ish, an accomplishment in and of itself. Truly had me wondering if there'd be a romantic interest for her at first. Bravo.

The surprise within was done well and kept me guessing almost till it was revealed. Just enough cast members to make it work and they all worked well as an ensemble. The pastor was a shining light ( as he should be) with just the right touch of sincerity and kind truth and humanity.

Chris Cormack is amazingly likeable and perfect in his role and Shenae Grimes-Beech was great as well. Could we please get rid of the wigs, tho? There were times when the hair over- powered her face to the extreme - not everyone should wear bangs. Please. A stylist issue, I know, but ... very distracting for an otherwise great watch.

Never Been Chris'd (2023 TV Movie)

A disappointment

[4/10 · 5 November 2023]

I'm sorry, but this felt as if it had been written by a group 16 year olds who couldn't agree on which direction the plot should take. Normally I'd rate anything with Tyler Hynes in it a 9 or 10, but this just was not a fitting vehicle for his talent. His part could have been played by anyone. What a waste of talent. The movie itself was slow, rambling and muddled and not worth the watch for me - though I did watch till the end hoping there'd be some redeeming quality, some epiphany or...something. The characters were lukewarm at best and unlikeable at the worst - not enough interest in any of them to care what happened. Guess I expect Hallmark to raise the bar for Christmas but not this time.

A Safari Romance (2023 TV Movie)

What a great, feel good watch!

[8/10 · 13 August 2023]

This cast was stellar. The two leads ,of course, are familiar and top notch, but the entire cast was superb as well, whether villain or supporting or stars. A kind, thoughtful and even educational storyline with such luscious, gorgeous scenery ( including the phenomenal shots of all the animal species we saw. Just one visual treat after another.)

Brittany Bristow is always enjoyable, no matter what role she plays but this story shows her skills as a no-nonsense professional with a will of iron (I wouldn't want to fly a drone in her park!). Her basically earnest and poised personality lends itself well to this movie.

I was definitely left feeling good about the time spent watching and would certainly watch this again..

Ms. Match (2023 TV Movie)

Decent. I'd watch it again.

[6/10 · 29 July 2023]

Well, okay. It wasn't awful. A little choppy and confusing, especially to the midway point. It's hard to keep track of who's who - there were a few unnecessary characters I thought. But most of the cast actually did a good job. And it did have an ending that satisfied, even though I was doubtful about that for most of the movie. Loved the twist involving the roommate. Darien Martin did a great job as the therapist. The female lead was likeable - she made you care what happened to her. One great thing about this movie is that there wasn't any overacting which is a nice change from some of these movies. The sound was a little muffled just at the beginning. That cleared up and it was a good watch after about 5 minutes. Was I on the edge of my seat thru the whole movie? No. But I did get caught up enough to watch it to the end. And I'd probably watch it again at some point.

Take Me Back for Christmas (2023 TV Movie)

Very enjoyable

[8/10 · 16 July 2023]

Forget the worn out storyline. Of course it is just that. Take it as the Hallmark movie that it is and appreciate the talented cast. I say well done to all of them. Corey Sevier's role was meant to be less than the female leads'. That's the chosen storyline. But I didn't find that there was any less chemistry between them than you'd expect. It was cute, sometimes funny and, yes, a little silly/ unrealistic at times. It is a fantasy Christmas movie. And a made for tv romcom.

Nice scenery, great costuming and lovely relationship between mother and daughter. I wasn't really familiar with Vanessa Lengies (female lead) but she carried the show and was the spark that brought all the characters to life. A lot of depth in her performance. I liked her even when the script put her in a few silly/uncomfortable situations. And Corey Sevier never disappoints, always handles his roles well.

I'd definitely watch this again.

The Wedding Wish (2023)

Watchable

[6/10 · 10 June 2023]

Somewhere between a 5 and a 6 is where this lands for me. It is the typical predictable story we've come to expect from this channel. I kept watching and waiting for the plot and its characters to "grow up" and give us a little depth. The characters themselves were pretty likeable and could have brought this to a better place. It had more potential than some others have had. I realize the premise was pretty childish, but again, it had potential to mature 'way sooner than it did. Talk about a last minute conversion - in a perfect world, the lead could have gotten herself straight, seen her future realistically and we could have all enjoyed a real wedding - or at least a "One Year Later" ceremony.... But to its credit, at least it was wholesome and clean entertainment and that puts it a class above a lot of what's out there. I actually might watch it again at some point because the cast was so likeable overall.

Wedding Season (2023 TV Movie)

Kudos to the cast

[7/10 · 4 June 2023]

Could have been silly, could have been boring and over-done. But it wasn't. It was a delightful watch, mainly because of the cast. Every one of them brought their A Game and the chemistry between the 2 leads was perfect. Yes, the basic premise of getting"the story" that would make or break her career was a bit of an eye-roller but so are most of them. The fact that there were 3 couples ( which could have been confusing and wasn't) and that those couples each stood out in their own story - that's amazing on its own. Casey Deidrick and Stephanie Bennett are becoming favorites of mine. Each of them rises to the occasion every time.

Romance to the Rescue (2022 TV Movie)

Decent but with reservations.

[6/10 · 20 March 2023]

I really wanted to love this one. I truly enjoy both of the leads and was excited to see Andrea Brooks as the star - she's had so many 2nd leads and has handled all of them very competently. But. Her character was so hyper/ silly throughout over half the movie that it was hard to focus on the plot. Marcus Rosner was excellent, as always, even though there were times when his reactions and lack of emotion were off-putting. I have to say, what was the director thinking? A waste of good talent. The story itself was fun - even more enjoyable due to "Sam" the dog's presence. Nice supporting cast.

One sticking point for me was a lack of attention to detail,etc. I know these are low budget films , but they should at least be handled so as not to insult the viewers' intelligence. A vet at a dog rescue wearing heels? Inappropriate attire isn't really new, I guess. Nobody cared that a store employee is making and selling competing dog treats - when the store is sponsoring the competition? And where was the ending? Easy to see that this one wasn't a priority. And where was even an attempt at chemistry? There'd be a flicker of interest and then a dead end. These are both good actors, so maybe direction was an issue.

Kind of worth the watch but without high expectations. Just try to watch for the fun moments, enjoy the dog and the scenery and the few nice interactions between the stars and realize that the end is going to be abrupt, certainly leaving most of us to wish there'd been more of something.

Royal Rendezvous (2023 TV Movie)

Worth the watch. Beautiful scenery.

[7/10 · 1 March 2023]

A cute movie for the genre. The female lead was both annoying and appealing. By far the most engaging characters - and probably the best actors- are Ronan Rafferty and Marcus Lamb. The rest of the cast was fairly strong. Dearbhla Malloy did a nice job as the Duchess. The scenery is gorgeous and well-used - made me feel almost as if I'd been on a quick vacation to Ireland. Love that the plot kept moving and that it had an "all's well that ends well" finish. Would have liked to see a little more substance in the female lead's role. That got a little silly and childish at times. I realize that she's supposed to be carefree and unconventional but she shows a good bit of depth towards the end and that should have been developed earlier on. Overall, worth the watch.

Romantic Rewrite (2022 TV Movie)

Painful and choppy.

[2/10 · 10 February 2023]

If you're into reading lips and/or closed captioning, go for it. Otherwise it's difficult to comprehend what's being said. And it's across the board - every member of the cast. All of them acted as if they were afraid to be on screen and just wanted to spit their words out and get off camera. Almost like watching a movie in a different language - or one from a junior high school stage. That, coupled with truly dreadful sound quality, made this a much harder watch than expected.

Then there's the cast and characters. The lead's sister and the bride were both majorly annoying characters. Who wrote this stuff? Guess I expected that if GAC is planning to rival Hallmark, they'd at least try to find a better product than this. Choppy. Choppy. Choppy. From beginning to end.

Great scenery - thanks for filming in the U. S. In this case it just couldn't redeem the overall experience.

Fall Into Winter (2023 TV Movie)

A disappointment

[4/10 · 30 January 2023]

This was a big disappointment. I expected much more from Lori Loughlin. She was stiff and lifeless through the entire movie. Guess I thought she was a better actress than that. I get that her character was supposed to be introverted and - somehow, damaged??- but her portrayal was almost catatonic. There was a much better performance from the actress who played her friend. She brought some life into the story. The pace was very slow and plodding - I almost turned it off twice, but kept hoping there'd be a spark of something towards the end. Absolutely no chemistry between the 2 leads. This is an emphatic "no" for me - won't watch it again.

The Wedding Veil Journey (2023 TV Movie)

Best of the bunch.

[10/10 · 29 January 2023]

All of the wedding veil movies are good. Great casts and fun premise. This. This is the best of them all, in my opinion. The 2 leads are hands down two of my all- time favorite actors - Victor Webster and Allison Sweeney elevate any movie. The plot in this installment has such depth. Not only does it have our next veil pairing , but also the story of Leo and his future. What a lovely addition to the overall story. What a great little actor Che Grant is! Very engaging and believable. All of the cast is strong. The pace is good and the scenery is gorgeous. And......it looks as if there may be more sequels? Yes, please.

Caribbean Summer (2022 TV Movie)

Wonderful scenery and great story

[9/10 · 27 January 2023]

I really enjoyed this movie and would watch it again. It has a strong cast and gorgeous scenery - I felt like I'd been on an island vacation myself by the time I had finished watching. The 2 leads were great together and the character development of both of them was well done. They became more likable as the story played out. I was unfamiliar with Ser'Darius Blain but really enjoyed getting to know him here. Loved his character with the laid-back kindness. A lot of just plain goodness in this movie, which is refreshing. We should all have so much loyalty from those around us. This is a winner for Hallmark and I hope we see more of all these actors in the future.

It Was Always You (2021 TV Movie)

Worth the watch

[8/10 · 25 January 2023]

This would absolutely be a 10 if it were not for the caricature-ish personalities of the 2 male leads at the beginning. That was cringy and difficult to get through. The poor fiancé was so annoying - and his stiff,sad, weirdness lasted through the entire movie. But beyond all that, the pairing of Tyler Hynes ( even though his character started in a truly annoying place) and Erin Krakow was perfect and took the story to the top. Both of these actors are so talented and their relationship was very believable. Bravo! All of the supporting cast were very good and Paula Shaw as grandma puts the icing on the cake - again. I loved that Elizabeth/ Erin Kraków's character found her own way to her travels, didn't need a guy to take her there - bravo, again. This is definitely worth watching once you're past the first few minutes. It's becoming one of my favorites.

A Tail of Love (2022 TV Movie)

Way above the norm.

[10/10 · 18 January 2023]

This one is a true gem. Before I started watching it I didn't have high hopes, thought it was just another fluffy( forgive the pun) doggie/love movie. So many of those out there. I kept waiting for the typical tropes, but none appeared. This one was way above the norm. The depth of talent on the cast was special - no awkward, cringy moments here - and anything with Jayne Eastwood is automatically elevated. Brittany Bristow and Chris McNally were perfect together. Great chemistry. The plot moved at a good pace and the good guys won, so what more could we ask for?

Beautiful that military and police dogs and their issues were highlighted, along with special needs owners who needed therapy dogs.

A breath of fresh air overall. I'll definitely watch this one again.

The Engagement Plot (2022 TV Movie)

Good but could have been better

[6/10 · 16 January 2023]

This was an okay movie that had the potential to be better than it was. But I still enjoyed it somewhat. The 2 leads are some of my favorites, so even though I didn't see any really chemistry between them, they're still good actors and carried the story pretty well. Sadly, I'm so turned off by the Bachelor franchise in general that the first bit of the movie was cringy for me - but pretty well done, superficiality and all. Good performance by Hannah's Dad as well, liked his down to earth task with Hannah. The editing was choppy at times, just not as smooth and professional as it should have been making it hard to follow the plot.

And now to the biggest issue for me - Rachel Boston is an excellent actress and is always chic and stylish, no matter what type of character she's playing. This time she was consistently dressed in frumpy clothing and over-sized sloppy coats that leads me to believe that she was probably pregnant during filming. Come on, these movies take 2 weeks to film - was it not possible to carve out that much time when she had her normal figure? It was almost as distracting as the overdone hats.

The Wedding Veil Expectations (2023 TV Movie)

Not a 10.

[7/10 · 15 January 2023]

The Veil movies are very good, mainly due to the 3 leads. But I fail to see the "10" ratings given here. It's good but not wonderful. Some great moments - I love Lacey Chabert and she was stellar in this one. Her joy over the pregnancy was lovely. But overall the movie was okay/good, not excellent. Kevin Mc's accent should just be put to rest. He's very engaging and just doesn't need that bit of "authenticity" to carry his role - we'd never miss it. Many New Englanders don't have one.

He could also use a good shampoo- sorry, I know that's petty, but it was so distracting. Stylist issues?

The plot itself was a little scattered. Loved the main story of the pregnancy, etc and the Mom and her romance, but the new boss at the Gallery (and his issues) was more of a distraction than anything else. Nice scenery and beautiful mansion. Fun to see Autumn Reeser and Allison Sweeney again.

Mid-Love Crisis (2022 TV Movie)

Implausible, unlikeable & weak.

[3/10 · 15 January 2023]

This is a pass for me on several levels. First, I agree that Terri Hatcher doesn't pass for a 49 year old. The plastic surgery was enough to make that obvious. Please. Second, James Tupper is a terrific actor and was totally wasted here - stilted dialogue, no chemistry and an unlikeable character. Next, the mid-life crisis itself is childish and shallow. Very poorly handled - everything from over-dramatic to silly. The 2 young girls acted about 12 years old. A lost opportunity if you're into an honest portrayal of lgbtq situations- and an unnecessary turnoff for folks who are opposed to this type of lifestyle. The only 2 characters who did a decent job were the ex-husband and Terri Hatcher's best friend. And as a side note: I understand the need to use Canadian studios and locations but for Pete's sake please coach the actors to avoid Canadian phases, "hey"?

Reindeer Games Homecoming (2022 TV Movie)

Even better than I had expected. Fun, sweet and smart.

[10/10 · 15 December 2022]

When I saw the 2 leads in this one I knew it was going to be good, but it was even better than that. Sarah Drew and Justin Bruening have a natural chemistry that we've seen in the past but this movie was next level. It was fun and funny and sweet and smart. No lazy dialogue or over-formulaic, shallow treatment here. Every role here was used to its maximum to make a movie that was so rich - and realistic - that when it was over, I wanted more. Kudos to casting and direction (and makeup!). Some actors fade away and some keep getting better ... Sarah Drew is one of the latter. She's always been good, but her scope is so wide and her likability is off the charts. She doesn't need glamour or a special filter to make her beautiful because her beauty is inside as well as out.

Crown Prince of Christmas (2022 TV Movie)

Cute but not much depth.

[5/10 · 14 December 2022]

There are a few good moments because the 2 leads are basically good actors and have a certain amount of rapport. The premise is cute (it's a Christmas movie after all) but most of the characters are just plain annoying and one dimensional. The make-up for Cindy Busby, her prince, and her family was truly awful. All their faces just looked dirty and heavy. She has a natural beauty but that was destroyed by that "muddy" look. And her mother was truly the most annoying character I've seen in one of these movies. Ever. Fire the director. And the makeup artist. Or re-train them. This is passable as a time filler if you're up for a day of Christmas movie binge watching, but doesn't stand well on its own. Cindy's singing was passable and fun to see but was built up to be more impressive than it actually was.