nemman63 Reviews

An Hour Behind (2017 TV Movie)

Better than average for this type of movie, but...

[7/10 · 2 December 2023]

This movie avoided most of the tropes about someone's parents dying (though they did sneak in the old spouse dying), one of them returning to their hometown only to fall in love with an old flame, etc. Him being a secret Prince or a billionaire, her being a secret princess, one of them inheriting something significant etc.

I thought the male lead was good, and the female lead was below average, and somewhat flat and even unlikable at times. Her sister I liked a little more and wish that they swapped roles TBH. But she was stuck raising some man child, cupcake-binging husband to raise along with their kids. (Why do they do this? Are there really so many lovely, smart women who marry overweight schlubs who never grew up and are mentally 12 years old?)

I had some problems with the writing - like the female lead not liking a date because he took her to a place that had bad lasagna, but all in all it was better than average, and it passed the time during my treadmill workout pretty easily.

Adam was perfect for her TBH. All she focused on was her bakery and cupcakes. She didn't even interact with her sister's kid and only came over to whine about things to their mother. She was pretty self-obsessed herself, just like Adam.

Can't any of these movies have the leads be adults when a misunderstanding arises? Just ask questions instead of running off and vowing to never speak to the person again.

Man, after all that, why did I give it 7 stars?

I think the main reason I bumped it up a couple of stars even with the flaws was because of the firemen scenes. Having worked in a similar environment I can tell you they got that part right, right down to doing pushups off the back bumper when bored. The actors all played their roles excellently, looked and behaved accurately. It made me miss the old days TBH.

The Slut (2011)

A movie by and for the very depressed

[2/10 · 13 October 2023]

About halfway through as yet another scene played out without dialogue, with the characters looking as sad and listless as can be, I realized that whoever directed this movie was very seriously clinically depressed.

I later found out that it was the leading actress who directed and wrote it. In the film the only life and fleeting joy cam during sex, and most of the time not even then.

I thought something was off about the main male character, and unlike most viewers was not surprised by "the twist" or "the climax" as other viewers were.

He just accepted her cheating without even showing any emotion, and then when she casually announced she had an aborted her pregnancy with his child (maybe), he didn't even comment or talk to her about it, or express any emotion whatsoever. It was then that I realized he did not love her and was in the relationship for another reason.

I didn't like the movie, or find it very interesting. It was simply unpleasant to watch someone elses mental illness inflicted on the viewer.

I gave it 2 stars for at least being honest.

V.C. Andrews' Heaven: Web of Dreams (2019) Season 1, Episode 5

Saved the best for last.

[7/10 · 26 June 2023]

Saved the best for last.

I didn't read the books, so I was not hung up on hair color and bosom sizes being accurate etc. While watching. Not saying book readers don't have a valid complaint, but it just didn't enter into my judgment of the movie.

I thought "Web of Dreams" was the best of the series, and "Heaven" was the 2nd best. "Fallen Hearts" was absolutely HORRIBLE, and nearly made me stop watching the series.

Leigh (Angel) may not have been the prettiest, but she was very sweet and goodhearted, and looked quite lovely when she smiled.

I am not sure a twisted rapist like Tony would fall in love with her when her pretty on the outside, but hideous on the inside mother was where his tastes lay, but I could see a good and honorable man falling in love with her, and feeling protective of her very easily.

But I can tell you being from rural Virginia that the Casteel family as presented in this episode would not have been considered back woods trash. They just accepted Leigh with no judgment about her pregnancy, were kind and respectful of others, had all their visible teeth, and kept their yard tidy and free of junk vehicles and old rusty appliances, spoke good English etc. They would have been respected members of that community.

And they would be familiar with the tragic events concerning Luke and his wife, and WOULD NOT have just treated the children like worthless trash with no one trying to help them.

I guess Luke fell apart after she died, but still... the thought the entire family would be considered as trash is quite frankly ridiculous... So either this didn't match the book or VC Andrew had a thing about making people really nasty and overly judgmental and hateful of others.

Just like she likes writing about incest. Vain and horrible mothers, hot baths and rough scrubbings, fatal car accidents killing parents, horrible sibling rivalries, jealousies and resentments, based on events that they had no control over etc.

She certainly had some grooves her mind would slip into when writing these stories.

Finally Tony really did seem completely villainous, and not just tortured by pain from his past, and being too controlling because of a fear of being abandoned...

I am glad I kept watching after the dreadful "Fallen Hearts" because Web of Dreams closed the series out as decently as "Heaven" opened it.

V.C. Andrews' Heaven: Fallen Hearts (2019) Season 1, Episode 3

Wow! and WTF?

[3/10 · 26 June 2023]

Wow! And WTF?

As a non book reader of this series I was completely bewildered through much of this 3rd episode. Starting right off the bat in the opening scene.

"Wow! It is sweet old grandpa looking like a retired college professor, having breakfast with Heaven!" Wait, WTF? Grandfather? Where has he been, and why was he MIA through all of the horrific times?

Why was he never even mentioned?

"But it is sweet that he still thinks his beloved wife is still alive and with him!" Wait the same beloved grandmother who was literally stressed and worked to death trying to raise all the kids all be herself in ABJECT POVERTY, because her son was a drunken good for nothing, abusive father and husband? That was his beloved wife? WTF? Where was he then or at the funeral?

I guess I will never know.

But boy he looks like he lived a much better and more comfortable life than his late wife did.

Then heaven gets angry that "Luke" isn't coming to her wedding. I rack my brain trying to remember who Luke is.

Heaven throws out a hint by casually declaring he was the man that raped her.

Well, if you count statutory rape there is Cal and Troy who raped her, but I don't remember anyone else even having sex with her?

I pause movie and check IMBD and find out Luke it her Pa. I don't ever remember any mention of him raping her. WTF? Ok maybe she is just now remembering... but then later when she finds out Tony manipulated things to get her away from her "rapist" she hates tony. How could he have separated her from her beloved Pa? WTF?

It was around that time, and the ridiculous shenanigans with Troy that I just stopped trying to make sense of any of it and just go along for the ride. (Troy loved her so much that he put her through the incredible trauma and guilt of her thinking he killed himself over her, but the seeing her again made him decide to hell with all that and doing the honorable thing of letting her go and live her life, and decided some good ole sex was in order... WTF?

I actually thought Episode 1 was pretty decent for this type of offering, but it went downhill in the 2nd one, and this one just went completely off the rails.

Serenity (I) (2019)

An interesting movie, but not great.

[7/10 · 19 August 2021]

I find it interesting reading reviews where clearly the person didn't get what the movie plot really was, or only got it at the end and didn't go back and apply this information to the previous parts of the movie.

I admit for the first 20 minutes of the movie or so I thought poorly of the movie and the acting, but once I realized that

Spoilers below

That everyone but Mathew's character was an NPC, everything made sense and it was interesting to watch how these one dimensional characters only exist to move him along in his "quest".

It was straight up "Monkey Island" an old 1980's computer game.

There was no "plot twist". From the very beginning everyone was a one dimensional cliché that only existed to serve a purpose for Mathew's character and help him in his quest, or to keep him moving along, which is what computer game NPC's always do.

You may not have figured it out yet, but the notion that it was a plot twist that suddenly changed everything is absurd. They were wooden, stock, clichéd, one dimensional characters from the get go, PURPOSEFULLY.

I would have rather seen the 2 actors make a movie where he (Coop) arrives on Edmund's planet (Interstellar) and wakes up Anne (Dr. Banks) and they make a life together, if they were going to do a movie, but this was ok.

I do agree with other reviewers that once you realize it is a computer simulation or game, and the the characters are only NPC's you kind of stop caring about them at all, and that kept this film from being more than just ok to mildly good.

I do wonder if it would have been better as a straight up film noir where it really was just a rich wife trying to have her abusive husband murdered by an apparent down on his luck man with a dangerous past through manipulation and seduction.

With these 2 actors that might have been interesting and more explosive, than a storyline that a young boy created for his computer game that he designed to keep his father alive to him, and to help him get the courage to protect his mother from a violent and abusive man.

Christmas Tree Lane (2020 TV Movie)

Just ok.

[6/10 · 22 December 2020]

Nothing original, which isn't unusual I suppose in these movies, but it was like a greatest hits collection of all the favorite tropes. Almost like it was a competition to see how many they could fit into 90 minutes. Good actors doing good work, but just lacking in anything that pulls you into the story because of how obvious the tropes are, and how little romance there actually is. Is this the new standard that the first and only real romance or kiss is at the very last moment right before the credits roll. I guess that would be ok if there were clearly visible sparks earlier on, that were not acted upon for propriety or other credible reasons. This movie had none of that. Oh well.

Cross Country Christmas (2020 TV Movie)

What a cute movie!

[9/10 · 22 December 2020]

I cannot believe at my age I am using "cute" to describe a movie I like, but yet there it is. I really liked this movie. Best One I have seen so far this year for the Christmas batch. Both of the leads were excellent, and you cold see them slowly becoming attracted to each other in a very heart warming manner. Sure it was derivative of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but all of these movies are derivative of something, and at least this one went for a classic and not just another schlocky paint by numbers plot. I was waiting for the scene where the state trooper pulls them over in a burned out shell of the pet grooming van, but alas... probably for the best though. Anyway, i thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it!

The Angel Tree (2020 TV Movie)

A decent Christmas movie.

[7/10 · 22 December 2020]

Good acting, decent little story, nothing really original or spell binding. I don't regret watching it, but wouldn't watch it again. The song with the guitar was pretty much cringe for me. I wonder if the actor was forced to do that, or if it was actually his idea (shudder). I felt bad that he was captain friend zone through the entire movie until I saw that scene, then it all made sense.

Once Upon a Christmas Miracle (2018 TV Movie)

It seemed like it would be good, but...

[6/10 · 22 December 2020]

Loved the story, but it failed in the execution. Lead actress was charming, and I thought she carried her part very well. The male lead never left the met cute phase of his character. Always with a glib quip or joke, trying so hard to be funny and cute at all times. He never became real. I have no idea what he did in the Marines, or what life events have shaped him. He just lived to serve other apparently, which is good, but there has to be a person in there somewhere, with real passions and feelings. What was worse is that the girl didn't even bother to be curious about his life beyond the glib non detailed things he told her. We did find out one Christmas his favorite ornament went missing. That is it. It just went missing.

Also if you are going to have the family receive a fund raising, maybe don't have them living in a million dollar Chicago home, with a 500k cabin. It really rubbed me the wrong way that people much less fortunate than them in life had to pay for them. How family that well off did not have medical insurance is beyond me. Maybe have the 50 something parents come out of retirement and get some jobs at least, before letting a guy living with his mom pay their bill with his motorcycle club buddies, and charitable strangers.

USS Christmas (2020 TV Movie)

Didn't work for me. It might for you I guess, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[4/10 · 18 December 2020]

Being an old Navy man I thought this looked interesting. I record about 20 Hallmark Christmas movies a year and usually have maybe 2 I really like, around 5 that are good, and some that are ok, and about 9-10 that I don't even finish. I only got about 20 minutes into this one before I ejected (get it?) I didn't really get the lead actress and what she was trying to do. Also the voice fry she was doing with her voice was very off putting. I found some of her lines completely unintelligible because of it. If it were a good movie I would have had to rewind and listen again, but since I was losing interest with each passing minute I didn't have to. I found myself rooting for the leading man Naval aviator's current GF. I think it would have been better with them swapping roles, or having the sister, or even the waitress take over the leading lady role. oh well, one down and 19 to go for 2020!

Pearl in Paradise (2018 TV Movie)

Very well done!

[8/10 · 7 March 2020]

What can I say: it was a cute Hallmark movie. The leads were excellent and had good chemistry. Their journey towards love was interesting, and you could see why they would be so attracted to each other. I am just surprised, as hot as she looked while hiking, that it didn't kick him into gear sooner, as they are together for 3 days and 2 nights out in the jungle. I was hoping for a better ending instead of the same formula, and I took a star off because of the ending. You don't always have to have the big misunderstanding, with one or both of them storming off like a child. Sometime people know they are in love, and handle small misunderstandings like mature adults, by talking about it and giving the other person a chance to explain. But alas this movie went the formula route at the end despite being fairly unique through most of the movie. Did I mention how amazing she looked in the jungle scenes? She looked so much better with a natural look than her city look.

Christmas Getaway (2017 TV Movie)

Wow, worst of the lot.

[1/10 · 26 December 2019]

I saved this for last because of the great reviews here. Loaded it up Christmas Night for the final Christmas movie of the season, and.... turned it off after 15 minutes.

This was easily the worst movie of this kind I have ever watched.

The very first scene with the lead female character, with her over the top self centeredness and narcissism, talking about her important travels and amazing rituals she has learned - like whoever finds the walnut in their porridge will get married in a year (she tells it like it is some sacred thing, like baby Jesus being born in a manger). No one else can even speak, they are just there to pay rapt attention and adore her ever word.

Even though her seemingly nice BF is sitting right there beside her, watching her, she makes a big show of looking relieved that it wasn't her that got the almond. He notices and is obviously hurt, not that she cares.

He takes the hint and tells her being with his family for the holidays is important to him, and he would love for her to be there, but since she won't come he now understands she will not settle down with a traditional guy like him. She really doesn't have anything to say, just another breakup to tell her adoring friends about. YOLO!!!! And apparently she had no real reason she couldn't go with him to his family for Christmas, as the next scene she is planning her own fabulous Christmas adventure.

I really thought the movie was going to be him in the lead male role, and could see where he would be wounded and gun shy about trusting and opening himself up again, and her character was the stock horrible ex, but NOOOOO! Then we cut to the intro of the male lead who is getting out of his luxury sedan and a pretty woman runs up and holds an umbrella over his head while they walk and he talks about his important business stuff without so much as a thank you or personal remark to her. (He is as important and special as she is!) 2 of the most unlikable characters I have ever seen in a film as leads that I am supposed to care about.

I could care less if either of them find their happiness TBH.

I would not recommend this movie under any circumstances, unless I quit it too soon and they both die in a plane crash and the real leads then take center stage..

Christmas Joy (2018 TV Movie)

Romance?

[6/10 · 25 December 2019]

First off the good: The lead actress was adorable. Picture perfect for the role. I was definitely interested pretty quickly in her story line.

The problem was there was ZERO chemistry with the leading man, and I saw no hope that there ever would be. I am sure the actor is fine, but the character he was playing - well: he had no guy friends, his friends were his parents and little old ladies (including Joy's aunt), he likes to bake, decorate, do interior designing and party planning, making ginger bread houses, and talking a lot about feeling and memories... He didn't seem to have any hobbies, interests or passions that would be considered traditionally male oriented. He just liked to hang out with the old ladies and do their kind of things. uh... well he did drive a pickup truck, so umm I guess he could be interested in a woman... maybe... Platonically. I don't know why they have him in the flannel shirt on the cover, because I don't think he wore anything other than fitted sweaters and slacks the entire movie. I seriously cannot even imagine them ever sharing a bedroom.

I often root for the nice guys and feel bad when they get jilted for the rich CEO or childhood sweetheart in these movies, but I honestly found myself hoping this guy was just a placeholder until the local fireman or outdoorsy neighbor guy took notice of her and her stunning beauty. No such luck...

She did say all her romances just fizzled, so maybe she is just saving time and going with no flame right from the start.

So much potential... Oh well. I hope to see her in more of these types of roles.

SnowComing (2019 TV Movie)

I bumped it up one star for Joe Theisman

[2/10 · 20 December 2019]

I watched this movie because I liked "Marry me for Christmas" and this not only had the same lead, but looked pretty similar except now he is an NFL qb instead of a action movie star. I just couldn't get past the lead actress' ridiculous red dye job. it was so jarring to look at in every scene, and being fake isn't a virtue you want in your Hallmark movie heroine imo. A different casting choice could have saved this, but this didn't work at all.

Christmas Homecoming (2017 TV Movie)

Some very strange reviews for this movie.

[6/10 · 20 December 2019]

Somehow this movie is attracting reviews from USA hating, anti military leftists. They seem to be disappointed that it wasn't anti war and anti military. As a veteran I respect and appreciated the way it handled the military service side with dignity befitting of the the sacrifice our veterans give for serving their country.

Also they show they have no concept of the Army rank structure as they think a grizzled Master Sergeant should be in his 20's or 30's. And why exactly should a veterans widow be in her 20's and 30's as well? Very strange. I found the age choice quite appropriate. My only quibble on that front would be how several of the actresses showed signs of plastic surgery to their faces. It is upsetting that these lovely women are in a system that makes them feel it is necessary to do that to remain relevant, and it didn't serve their roles as military spouses in this movie.

I wanted to really like this, but it was just too detached. I really didn't feel it. It felt like he had some problems brewing under the surface that their little play at Christmas spirit did not address or fix. She seemed to be just going through the motions and feeling like she should love him, instead of really loving him.

Anyway. An ok movie, and all the haters of our country and our military can jump in a lake or something.

A Gift to Remember (2017 TV Movie)

Well....

[6/10 · 26 December 2018]

It was kind of nice that the girl was sort of a plain, quirky but sweet girl, and that the guy wasn't some prince, ex-rock star, Tech guru CEO. Of course he still had to look like he stepped right out of a modeling agency ad and have wash board abs. The woman can be a 5, but the man better be a 10!

I watched another movie where the same actor played a gay priest in an interracial marriage with a newborn baby (even Hallmark has to tweak religious people at Christmas time to push a social agenda), so it was kind of distracting to see him in this.

Overall an ok fluff movie for the Holiday, with extra cheese on top.

Overboard (2018)

The shills have arrived!

[1/10 · 7 May 2018]

I see the shills have arrived en masse with their 10/10 and one or two sentence reviews, to try to pull this dreck up from the murky depths where it rightfully belongs. This movie is horrible. Possibly the worst remake of a fine classic movie that I have ever seen. Poor casting, acting, no chemistry, the original stripped of all its charm and replaced with mean spiritedness and spite.

Save your money and watch the original.

Barefoot (I) (2014)

I wanted to like it, I really did.

[6/10 · 3 May 2018]

Ok, so the male lead became infatuated with a sweet young and naïve girl who sees good in him, basically because she doesn't know any better after being locked away first in her Mother's house, and then in a mental institute.

Call me old fashioned, but I would have liked to have seen some signs of growth in him, but there really was none. I don't consider him continuing to game the system so he can be with his GF as any kind of growth.

Not even an apology to his parents, especially his dad. Am I suppose to believe that when the newness and excitement wears off in this new relationship, he won't go back to his ways with strippers and gambling? Why? Sure, playing the white knight to a troubled girl is fun at first, but it won't be long when he has to put on his big boy pants and actually take care of another adult human being. What fun is that to a guy like this?

She is basically a child in a woman's body, and I don't want to think too much on that because then the movie takes on a really creepy vibe. But her being like this makes his irresponsibility seem fun and exciting; an adventure that she wants to go on forever and ever! He is basically the parent who will let her eat candy and junk, skip all responsibility and just do whatever seems fun every day, and if his dad doesn't want to pay for that, well then we can always just steal from him! People are who they are until they prove otherwise. I see a world of hurt in her future with him.

It wasn't a bad movie though, and I enjoyed some of it. I just felt let down when it was done.

Persuasion (2007 TV Movie)

Ignore the 1995 fan club/ haters.

[9/10 · 16 February 2018]

Sally Hawkins was lovely as Anne, and I frankly enjoyed her turn at the character much better than the dour man-faced Amanda Root. Both Anne an Capt. Wentworth are much more age appropriate to the book. In the 95 version Anne looks like a dour faced 40 year old spinster with a bad wig, and the capt looks like a grizzled old 50 something master chief who drank and whored his way through every port call.

I liked the much disputed running scene. It showed the depth of her love and how she was willing to defy conventions to rectify her past mistake with the man she truly loves. Wentworth probably should have kissed her a little more quickly, instead of leaving her hanging there expectantly.

A good movie, and a perfectly fine adaptation of a book that would require 8 hours to truly adapt, and as a result would have only hardcore Austen fans watching it.