Change Your Image
dsv-34361
Reviews
Love on the Air (2015)
Stressful to Watch
Hallmark have a thing for depicting relationships where the two participants start off hating each other then fall madly in love ... because of course that happens so often in the real world. Usually it's the guy who is an arrogant, selfish, know it all and the girl just swoons all over the place because she apparently likes to be treated like that. In any event, this dreadful film takes that concept to the absolute maximum with not one but two arrogant, selfish, know-it-alls and an endless tirade of snarky baiting between them. Alison Sweeney, to be fair, gives a great performance. Scarfe gets the unshaven arrogant slob down to a fine art and doesn't disappoint if that's what you're looking for. The problem is ... what's the point? After 40 minutes of listening to the headache inducing arguing and sniping I had to hit stop. I know from other reviews on here that a lot of people love that kind of thing so I'm happy for them. For me, it's dreadful. It's painful. It's pointless.
Big Sky River (2022)
Misses the Mark
A lot of money was spent on this "By the Numbers" Hallmark romance flick, but all the money in the world couldn't save a script that is frankly tedious. Emmanuelle Vaugier did what she could with it, but in the end she really didn't convince me. Kavan Smith, well, I don't know really. There was just something about him that didn't work and I never really believed the relationship between them. But - worst of all - the endless discussions and advice by/from friends about the whole Tara+Boon thin: "Do you feel something for him?", "Are you falling for him?", "Have you asked her out yet?","Why not come to a barbecue where he's going to be?". I know this is standard fare for a Hallmark movie but in this one it really overpowers the story and it's also boring. And then there's Tara's ex - a thoroughly obnoxious selfish man who I cannot imagine her marrying under any circumstances unless she was on something. Not much else happens, really. There is some drama but the resolution is never in doubt. I understand that there is an epic sequel, but I won't be tuning in to find out what happened next ... because it's Hallmark, so I already know.
The Secret Ingredient (2020)
The Worst Hallmark Feel Good in Living Memory
I like Erin Cahill and normally she turns in a good performance in these Feel Goods, but honestly there was nothing Feel Good about this one. Right from the start we are into a bizarre storyline where everybody is determining Kelly's future for her, and one of the most arrogant leading men ever to have graced a Hallmark movie slithers onto the screen like some predatory lizard, hungrily flicking its tongue as it searches out its prey.
There is not one single moment in this frankly unbelievable tale of cupid conspiracy that justifies why Kelly should feel the way she does about this guy, and yet, big surprise, at the end she collapses into his arms and is so grateful that he has saved her pathetic life from the utter tedium of running a successful business in the town that he ran away from because he wanted to show how clever he was. I was completely unconvinced and would also say to his extremely annoying sister - be careful when you play cupid with people's lives because you then take on the responsibility for whatever comes next!
I hated this film from start to finish. About the only plus point was that the scenes on the set of the cooking show captured the style of those reality baking shows well.