Fix page - Page 6 - Romantic Movies

Plot

Lori's boss wants to send her to her old hometown to cover a story on how the town is reacting to the threat of losing its ice rink and, consequently, the Christmas celebrations that are always held there. Initially, Lori refuses, as she has painful memories of the town and the rink where she fell and lost the chance to compete as a figure skater in the Olympics. However, as her career depends on the assignment, she eventually goes there. Upon arrival, she meets the owner of the rink, Mark, who is determined not to give in to the threat of closure. Soon, Lori becomes involved in the story while also processing her difficult memories from her time in the town.

Short review

The movie holds up and turns out quite well as a romantic film. Perhaps one might think that her profound trauma doesn't seem to be so profound after all, but it works.

A Perfect Christmas Pairing

Plot

Grace, who is a chef, receives a negative review from an influential critic. Feeling a bit off balance after this, the restaurant manager convinces her to visit her family over Christmas. In her hmoe town is Rita, attempting to take over the center for "development," which also includes Grace's parents' vineyard. Grace encounters the travel writer Asher, who is the brother an old friend. Soon, they become involved in trying to thwart Rita's plans and save the old businesses in the town.

Short review

The movie feels a bit sloppy. A lot of it doesn't ring quite authentic. Maybe no major flaws, but it doesn't come together.

The Love Gala

Plot

Kate and her partner are building up their event planning company. Now, they receive a task from Kate's mom, who is one of the city's leading celebrities. They have to quickly organize this year's celebrity party that her mom is hosting. The party is always held in the city's botanical garden. However, this year the garden has a new manager, Danny, and he wants to limit what they can do inside the garden. Kate must come up with a new concept that is accepted by both Danny and her mom, who have completely opposing opinions.

Short review

Kate is a bit too cheerful and forced, and the romance feels somewhat "matter of fact" rather than romantic.

Christmas Party Crashers

Plot

Tara is trying to sneak into a party at a wealthy family's house to pitch her idea for an app. On her way in, she encounters Tre, who is also attempting to sneak in to promote his clothing designs. Somehow, they manage to enter together but soon find themselves entangled in a web of lies. One thing leads to another, and they are invited to organize the family's Christmas celebration. They get involved in the family's various challenges, and it becomes increasingly difficult to achieve what they originally wanted without ruining everything. Meanwhile, something develops between them.

Short review

No, the movie doesn't work. It often becomes exaggerated and very artificial.

Christmas of Yes

Plot

Amy only has time for her job and her hobby, roasting her own coffee. However, leading up to Christmas, she loses her job. Her brother, frustrated that Amy always says no to everything because she doesn't have time, now convinces her, while she is unemployed, to promise to say yes to everything until Christmas. This has the consequence, among other things, of her ending up at an improvisational theatre performance. There, she is pulled onto the stage by Nico, one of the actors. The whole thing doesn't go well, but afterward, because she can't say no, she is drawn by the actors into a charity activity to wrap Christmas presents. She and Nico get to know each other and realize that they might have some things in common after all.

Short review

A good romantic movie with freshly brewed coffee and a feel-good atmosphere. It's about changing but does so in a fairly credible and not overly dramatic way. It's not just about them learning from each other, but also about Amy having to deal with childhood trauma involving an alcoholic mother. (It's not a heavy film, after all, it's a fairly amusing romantic movie).

The Santa Summit

Plot

Jordin gets the idea that she and her two friends should participate in a Santa Claus event. After some persuasion, they agree to join. The first thing that happens when they arrive is that Jordin encounters another Santa, Liam, and immediately sparks a romantic connection. However, they lose track of each other, and since both were in disguise, it's not easy to find each other again. We follow how Jordin and Liam search for each other during the various events in the evening. Meanwhile, some romance unfolds for her two friends as well.

Short review

The concept of a Santa Claus-themed event where everyone is supposed to dress up as Santas feels a bit forced. The movie is reasonably decent, but it never really becomes truly good.

The Sound of Violet

Plot

Autistic Shawn struggles to find a girlfriend, largely due to his diagnosis. He is determined to get married before his grandmother passes away. When Shawn meets Violet, who works as a prostitute, he doesn't understand her profession but sees a girl he genuinely likes. Violet, compelled to work by her pimp, finds it challenging to comprehend Shawn, but his determination breaks through her defenses. Slowly, she gets to know him and his quirks, such as his aversion to physical touch and his ability to perceive colors. However, she remains trapped in the difficult world of prostitution, which is not easy to escape.

Short review

A different romantic movie about a more serious subject. It is definitely not as polished as the usual romantic films, even though this one also becomes a kind of fairy tale. It turns out as a good movie, although they could have avoided involving the church in the whole thing.

Dressed for Love

Plot

Jenna works as a designer in her friend's fashion store. Business is slow, and they need more customers. When a famous influencer enters the store to find something to wear for a society wedding, she immediately orders Jenna's entire new collection. This could be the breakthrough they need. Jenna goes to deliver the collection to the estate where the wedding is to be held. However, it turns out that the influencer doesn't show up, and furthermore, Jenna is mistaken for her. Reluctantly, she continues the charade to not miss the chance to showcase her collection. She is confronted, among others, by the groom's brother, Hunter.

Short review

A weak movie that doesn't hold up. It's actually the final scene that ultimately drags down the film.

Three Wise Men and a Baby

Plot

The brothers Luke, Taylor, and Stephen are still living with their mother for various reasons. Luke is a firefighter, Taylor is a game programmer and Stephen is an animal therapist. The week before Christmas, a baby is left at the fire station where Luke works, along with a note asking Luke to take care of the baby for a while. Even though Luke is certain it's not his baby, he decides to care for the child, and soon both of his brothers become involved in babysitting. Many aspects of their personal situations, upbringing, and potential romances come into a new light.

Short review

This movie is entertaining. They have brought in three of the male top stars from romantic films, Andrew W. Walker, Tyler Hynes, and Paul Campbell, to play the three very different brothers. Although the romances themselves (and there end up being three in the end) are a bit in the background in this film, it is worth watching because it is amusing with good performances. It has two sequels, Three Wiser Men and a Boy and Three Wisest Men, but they are not as good.

A Christmas Serenade

Plot

Jeremiah is tired of playing the same old songs all the time on tour with the band he's in. He gets a little break when the band happens to stop for a few days in his hometown, and he gets to visit his parents. In the neighboring house lives Willow, whom Jeremiah used to be with before he left the town for his music career. She has stayed with her father, who is a bishop, working with him as a minister and singing in the choir. Her father involves Jeremiah in the work for the church's Christmas concert, something Willow really recents as she is still angry with Jeremiah after he left.

Short review

This film becomes surprisingly good despite the starry-eyed Christianity. It operates without overly explicit religious preachiness and I suppose it becomes quite natural for someone living in the American Bible Belt.

Everything Christmas

Plot

When Lori-Jo (LJ) doesn't get time off for Christmas, she quits her job. She has decided to go to Yuletide Springs to hang a special ornament on the city's Christmas tree and make a wish, something she had originally planned to do with her late grandmother. She convinces her best friend Viktoria (Troy) to join her on the journey. It becomes an eventful trip where they, at times, have the company of the somewhat mysterious Chris. During the journey, LJ also meets the tow truck driver Zack, and Troy meets Jason. Everything seems fated.

Short review

Well, it doesn't quite reach the goal. Not entirely bad, but it leaves something to be desired. It does, however, offer two romances at least.

Holiday Road

Plot

Stranded at the airport on the way to Denver, a group of strangers decides to share a rental bus and travel to Denver by road. It becomes an interesting journey where they get to know each other and their respective backgrounds and challenges. Everyone has reasons to reflect on where they are heading in life, and sometimes they find support in each other. Clay and Dana, who didn't have a good start at the airport, discover sides of each other that they didn't anticipate initially, despite being opposites in many ways.

Short review

It is a good road movie with lots of feel-good. The romance is just a subplot, but it works.

Journey to Christmas

Plot

Despite the time pressure, the supermodel Cali insists on, against her manager's wishes, going by car to California, where she must be on December 23rd. She wants to visit several places along the way. Her driver is Jack, who runs a driver service but has allowed his staff to take Christmas leave, so he takes on the job himself. Bad weather forces them to constantly choose new routes until they eventually have to stop. Luckily, it happens right where Jack's parents live, and they gladly accommodate them, especially since Jack hasn't been there in the last three years.

Short review

The movie lives up to the standards as a romantic film, that is, if one can handle how incredibly selfless and charitable this supermodel is.

Eat Your Heart Out

Plot

Paolo has just moved to Los Angeles, and there he manages to get a job in the kitchen of a restaurant owned by the couple Maya and the chef Carlos. For some reason, the restaurant is not doing as well as it should, considering how successful it is. Paolo is doing his best in the kitchen and takes over a few times when Carlos is busy, something that Carlos doesn't appreciate. At the same time, there are some shady guys hanging around the restaurant who seem to know Carlos.

Short review

Well, this was indeed a tedious hour that one will never get back. It's like they've taken several scenes and stitching them together into a film with a lot of filler. I think it's supposed to be somewhat artistic, with a blend of Italian film and Tati, but it fails completely due to poor performances from everyone, especially the writer and the director. It all becomes rather 'artsy fartsy,' simply put.

Making Scents of Love

Plot

Shay is trying to succeed as a perfumer, and her niche is creating individual perfumes for each person. Her first store failed, and now she works from a small storage space at a storage company while also doing side gigs for a catering company. She is also attempting to recreate an antique perfume often referred to as a love potion. When she accidentally spills one of her attempts on Austin, who works for the perfume company that took over Shay's store location, and he falls madly in love with her, she believes it's the perfume that has affected him.

Short review

Not a total misfire, but the whole concept of personal scents in perfume feels very forced. It somewhat diminishes the film. As a romantic saga, it holds up reasonably well.

My Norwegian Holiday

Plot

Astronomer Jessica is offered a free ticket to Norway by Henrik, whom she happened to meet while buying her morning coffee. Henrik has accidentally seen a wooden figurine that Jessica inherited from her grandmother and noticed that it originates from Norway. Despite her hesitation, she is persuaded by her university professor to go anyway. The plan is for her to be alone in Norway for Christmas, but she is soon drawn into Henrik's family, who insists that Jessica should stay with Henrik's grandmother. Jessica gets the opportunity to find out what her grandmother did in Bergen a long time ago, something she was not aware of.

Short review

The Norwegian tourist office called and thanked. The movie might leave something to be desired overall, but it picks up a bit along the way and delivers a lot of feel-good moments. So, it works its way up to the average despite the romanticized tourist image of Norway.

Mystery on Mistletoe Lane

Plot

Heidi has moved with her two children to a new job as the manager of the city's historical center. She is moving into the old house that was offered with the position. The house has been vacant for a while and is in need of repairs, but it has also been a crucial part of the city's Christmas celebrations in the past. In her new role, Heidi takes on the task of reviving both the center and the house and is joined by David, who used to be in charge of the historical center and is still working there. Initially resistant, David gets drawn into the projects. Soon, Heidi's children discover mysterious clues in the house and embark on a treasure hunt.

Short review

If one is looking for an average romantic movie, this is a typical example. Christmas, small town, etc., etc. The film works for what it is intended to deliver. Neither more nor less.

Love's Playlist

Plot

Amanda convinces her boss to get the opportunity to organize a launch event when the music publishing company she works for is set to launch a new collaboration with social media. However, her boss has also brought in Sam to help with this, and now Amanda is forced to work with him. Sam, however, is firm in his opinions, which are directly opposite to Amanda's, and moreover, he is quite arrogant. At the same time, under a pseudonym, Amanda is chatting with another music enthusiast with whom she is building a good connection. Little do they know that they are actually chatting with each other.

Short review

This wobbles a bit on the edge thanks to Sam, who initially comes across as a rather insensitive and superior type. Of course, he gets improved, but it's a bit unclear how (he needed to become more clearly put in place). However, the film picks up a bit and lands on a rating of 4.

A Biltmore Christmas

Plot

Lucy is tasked with writing a new script for the old classic film "His Merry Wife," originally filmed in 1947. However, her client is not satisfied with the ending she has written, so she is sent to Biltmore House where the first film was shot. Reluctantly, she goes there and not only sees the environment but also the items used during the filming. When she accidentally turns over an hourglass used in the film, she suddenly finds herself back in 1947, amidst the actual production with all the actors, including Jack, who plays the angel in the film.

Short review

Not as bad as I feared. It holds up as a romantic tale, if taken just as that. SPOILER ALERT: I always wonder how things will turn out for someone suddenly transported 70 years into the future, without any identification documents, knowledge of recent events, etc., but the story doesn't reveal that

This Is Christmas

Plot

Adam commutes every day on the same train. He starts to wonder about his fellow passengers and why they don't talk to each other even though they see each other every day. One day, when the train stops at a red signal, he stands up and invites everyone to a Christmas party for everyone on board. The reactions are initially lukewarm, but as the days go by, the passengers slowly start talking to each other. Adam makes contact with Emma, who is about to move to the USA, and she agrees to help him organize the party. As the days pass, more and more people join in.

Short review

A heartwarming tale of new acquaintances and good deeds. A well-crafted story, which may not come as a surprise given that it's British and a bit more lavish. This one you should watch.

Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas

Plot

Carly has been assigned to take care of a church choir before Christmas. This means she has to leave Philadelphia and head to the small town of Waterford Creek. She arrives on the same bus as Matthew, who is returning from his military service. Carly starts training the choir, which really needs improvement. The choir is also strengthened by Matthew's sister, who has a beautiful singing voice, leading Carly to spend a lot of time with Matthew. However, there are also reasons why Carly specifically received this assignment from the priest and his wife.

Short review

A reasonably good romantic film that reflects the American rural church life but still manages to avoid overly explicit religious pointers.

Christmas Made to Order

Plot

Gretchen runs an event company that decorates venues for holidays alongside her part-time job. She decorates the foyer where Steven works as an architect for Christmas. When Steven, who is working way too much, suddenly finds out that his parents and sister with her family are coming to celebrate Christmas at his place, he hires Gretchen to decorate his home for the holidays. However, it turns out that he needs more assistance to give his family a truly great Christmas celebration. In exchange for Gretchen helping his family have a wonderful Christmas, Steven offers to help her get her event company off the ground.

Short review

A good romantic Christmas movie without major complications but with a lot of feel-good.

Christmas Wedding Planner

Plot

Kelsey wants to start a wedding planning business, and her first assignment is to plan her cousin's wedding. Suddenly, Kelsey's cousin's ex-boyfriend shows up, and he has a private detective mission to investigate the cousin's groom. He involves Kelsey in the mission. The situation is becoming increasingly complicated.

Short review

A poorly executed romantic movie with weak performances and a hardly believable plot (even for a romantic film).

Christmas by Design

Plot

Charlotte's clothing design company needs a boost. She gets the opportunity when she get the chance to participate in a prestigious design competition. However, her premises are hit by a water leak, and she is forced to go home to her parents for Christmas. Now she has to balance the design assignment with her family's expectations that she will participate in the city's Christmas celebration. Fortunately, she receives some support from Spencer, who has moved to the small town and runs an auto repair shop.

Short review

Another movie about how life in New York is not worth nothing compared to life in a small countryside town. However, the story holds up well as a romantic tale.

Come Fly with Me

Plot

Emma 'Blitz' has just secured a coveted spot in the Air Force Thunderbirds aerobatic team and moved to Las Vegas with her daughter. There, she meets Paul, a single father who runs an outdoor equipment store. Their daughters instantly bond over their shared love of aviation. A friendship develops as Emma trains to become an integral part of the aerobatic team. Paul's daughter dreams of becoming a pilot but was born with a heart condition similar to what killed her mother. She may need a new operation at any time.

Short review

The movie receives a good rating not only for the aviation theme (which appeals to me) but also because it is well-executed with a good romantic storyline. It is moderately dramatic with a lot of feel-good moments (and authentic flight scenes).

Colorado Christmas

Plot

Melody navigates through life as a personal assistant after her husband died, leaving her alone with their daughter. She takes on a patient who has had a stroke, which has also led his son John to temporarily leave his tour as the country star 'Johnny Colorado.' They get to know each other while John must deal with being torn between family and life on the road.

Short review

A pretty bad movie where the Christian amateurism shines through. The film stumbles a bit and never engages.

Dognapped: Hound for the Holidays

Plot

Emily works as an assistant to the famous blogger Victoria, who also promotes a design brand. Emily also, mostly, takes care of Victoria's small dog. Now, they are heading to Emily's hometown, Plattsburgh, as Victoria needs a positive PR stunt and believes a visit to the charming town is the right thing to do. However, her dog is soon kidnapped from the local veterinarian, Jonathan, where Emily had taken it for a checkup. Emily and Jonathan start unraveling the mystery of who could have kidnapped the celebrity dog.

Short review

A pretty lousy movie that doesn't convince, neither with its plot nor with the acting. Noah Fearnley, who plays Jonathan, has obviously been chosen for his looks, not for his acting skills.

Flipping for Christmas

Plot

Abigail, who is an interior designer, is persuaded to come to her sister's place over Christmas to renovate a house inherited by her sister and her husband from an elderly relative. The goal is to sell it to secure a better life for the sister's family. Upon arrival, it quickly becomes apparent that they have only inherited half of the house, and the other new owner, Bo, is not interested in selling but wants to turn the house into a bed and breakfast. Despite this, Abigail and Bo start renovating the house, even though they have two completely different end goals.

Short review

It's a good romantic movie that maintains midrange quality. No major surprises, but reasonably well-made.

Christmas Holidate

Plot

Holly runs a dating company with a successful app. As Christmas approaches, they are about to release a new update, and her IT manager, John, tries to warn her that the new release has a glitch, but Holly doesn't listen. Instead, she focuses on bringing her family together to celebrate Christmas and to keep them united, she claims to have a boyfriend. She uses the app to quickly find someone to show off as said boyfriend. In the chaos, John is mistaken for her boyfriend, and it gets even worse when, due to the glitch, a bunch of 'boyfriends' matched with Holly in the app start appearing.

Short review

The movie doesn't hold up. There are plenty of logical errors, and it mostly feels like they've come up with a bunch of ideas and thrown them together without any sense of what works. There's a lot of posing in the movie.

Christmas Casanova

Plot

Elise has a podcast, and her publisher wants her to spice it up for Christmas if she's going to have a chance to keep it. Through another podcast, she gets in touch with Daniyal, whose best friend since childhood, Tanya, has a new boyfriend celebrating Christmas with her family in New York. Daniyal, who has always celebrated Christmas with Tanya's family, suddenly feels the urge to break out of the friend zone and win Tanya's heart. Elise offers to help him if he lets her create a podcast series about Tanya's family Christmas celebration in New York.

Short review

A reasonably good romantic movie, not without its flaws, but it works.

Christmas at the Holly Day Inn

Plot

When Emma doesn't get the promotion she had set her sights on, she resigns. She goes home to her dad over Christmas. He runs an inn and it turns out that business is slow, and her dad is forced to sell. At the same time, Oliver is sent to finalize the deal with Emma's dad. However, he first meets Emma, and when he finally arrives at the inn, he is mistaken for a regular guest.

Short review

This is what happens when you've watched a bunch of romantic movies and try to make one yourself but haven't figured out how to do it (or simply don't have the budget needed).

Checkin' It Twice

Plot

On her way home to Idaho Falls for Christmas, real estate agent Ashley learns that her colleague and boyfriend have deceived her about an account she had hoped to win, prompting her to break up with him. Meanwhile, Scott has secured a spot on the Idaho Falls hockey team, viewing it as a temporary step toward his long-standing goal of making it to the NHL. The two cross paths during their stay in the city, giving them both reasons to reflect on what they want from their respective careers and lives.

Short review

An average romantic movie that holds up as such. The quiet life in a small town is always the goal in most of these films.

Any Questions for Ben?

Plot

Ben is a hot shot marketer who changes jobs and women like others change clothes. He is invited to share his experiences with students at his old school. There is great interest for his old schoolmate Alex, who works as a humanitarian in Yemen, but no one has any questions for Ben. This makes him doubt his life choices and have him questioning what he is doing. At the same time, he is also drawn to Alex. It becomes a journey of self-discovery for Ben as he makes new decisions about how his life should be.

Short review

The movie is more about Ben's development than the romance itself. It probably would have received a better rating as a romantic film otherwise. It still becomes a reasonably good movie even if the romance is not completely convincing.

Along for the Ride

Plot

Auden has grown up with her mother in an environment that hasn't allowed for the typical high school experience. The summer before college, she goes to stay with her father, his new wife and their infant. There, she meets Eli, who also leads a rather secluded life, but they share the commonality of being awake late at night. It becomes a summer where Eli challenges Auden to experience everything she missed during high school. However, Auden also challenges Eli to confront his past and break out of his shell.

Short review

A story that revolves as much around broken family relationships and grief processing as it does around romance. It becomes a really compelling tale.

All For Love

Plot

Jo is soon publishing another romantic novel, but her recent works haven't been doing well. The latest one, which was about firefighters, had so many factual errors that it was heavily criticized. In her upcoming book, the hero is a Navy SEAL. Colin, the brother of her publishers, who has been a SEAL himself, runs a training camp for those aspiring to become professional military personnel. Her publisher sends Jo to the camp to gather facts as background for her new book.

Short review

Was a bit hesitant about this from the beginning, but it turns out to be a well-constructed story (even though Jo is a bit stereotypical at first). It unfolds well and becomes a good romantic film.

A Very Venice Romance

Plot

Amy is set to launch the company's new healthy meal kit, but the star chef they were working with quits. In a bid to salvage the situation, she reaches out to a chef, Giovanni, in Italy whom she believes can help them. When he declines, she signs up for his cooking class in Venice and travels there to persuade him. Throughout, she is under pressure to save the company's product idea, but Giovanni doesn't believe in their artificial food. Instead he begins teaching Amy everything about Italian cooking and its traditions with genuine passion and family heritage.

Short review

This is a good romantic movie. It doesn't differ significantly from the crowd, but it is well-made with good performances. The fact that there is also some Italian spoken in Italy is a big plus.

A Very English Christmas

Plot

Emma is a wedding planner in California. Suddenly, her half-sister in England reaches out, announcing that she is getting married at Christmas in two weeks. She wants Emma to be there and preferably help with the wedding. Emma travels to England for the first time to do so, also hoping to establish business contacts there. She is put to work on the wedding, where she is assisted by Dylan, Emma's sister's business partner and also the best friend of the groom.

Short review

The movie is good because it is a bit deeper than usual with complicated family relationships, etc. It probably would have gotten a 5-star rating if they hadn't botched the ending, which feels very abrupt.

Snapshot of Love

Plot

Adrian is a celebrity photographer for a gossip magazine, and she has been assigned to get pictures of the actor Parker. While covering a movie premiere, Parker stumbles on an apple she dropped. This incident causes quite a stir, and Adrian's boss instructs her to take it easy for a couple of weeks and stay out of the spotlight. Adrian decides to visit her aunt, who runs a bed and breakfast. However, it soon becomes apparent that Parker has also checked into this B&B to lay low. And despite reports in the press that he has gone away with his famous girlfriend, who is also an actress, he is there alone.

Short review

A rather average story with a lot of criticism towards the tabloid press. It doesn't maintain any higher quality but is not downright terrible either.

Fourth Down and Love

Plot

Mike is a professional in American football, and when he gets injured again for the second time, he goes home to his brother to recover. In the same town is also Erin and her teenage daughter, Keira, who is a football enthusiast. They run into each other, and it immediately becomes awkward, as they used to date during high school and went their separate ways under unclear circumstances. When Keira's team suddenly needs a coach, Mike steps in while waiting to resume his career as a football pro. This also means that Mike and Erin find themselves confronting each other more and more.

Short review

A well-made romantic film that is slightly better than average. It is in no way unique, but it maintains a decent quality.

Guiding Emily

Plot

Emily is an active woman both at work and in her personal life, where she engages in activities such as climbing with her boyfriend. One day, while they are out climbing, Emily has an accident and becomes blind. Now, she must try to adapt to a life where she may never be able to see again. Things don't get any easier when her boyfriend moves for a new job. However, she receives support from her co-workers who don't want her to quit. Matthew, the owner of the climbing facility where Emily used to climb, also steps in to help. On the side-lines there is also Garth, who is training to become a guide dog.

Short review

A really good movie where Emily (Sara Drew) struggles with her new disability. Despite her inherent resistance to accepting support because she wants to be self-sufficient, she soon realizes that some of her friends don't give up easily. The romance is portrayed in a gentle and beautiful manner. The only thing to say against it is that they should have skipped Garth's inner dialogue, which feels a bit silly and too obvious. But that's a minor flaw and just a small part.

Joyeux Noel

Plot

Lea works as a copy editor at a magazine. When the magazine needs a good story for the Christmas issue, Lea suggests writing about the story behind a mysterious painting that is being exhibited at an art museum. Lea has found a journal that may belong to the artist (who is anonymous). Mark, a reporter at the magazine, is sent to France to investigate the story and write a Christmas article. Lea, who actually owns the said journal, convinces the publisher to let her accompany him.

Short review

The movie doesn't hold up. It fails to grab hold of the viewer.

The Date Whisperer

Plot

Sam works as a matchmaker, where she assists her clients with advice through earpieces during their dates. However, she has lost her edge after her parents' divorce. Additionally, her father is now getting married to his boyfriend, and the best man is her father's tennis trainer, Matt, who is very competitive. They soon find themselves in a bet where Sam has to succeed with her next client. However, Matt becomes overly involved in the challenge, which is particularly challenging as he was also the one who encouraged Sam's father to get divorced.

Short review

First, I thought that this could possibly turn into something, and initially, Sam (Sam Mason) gets the opportunity to give Matt (John Ryan McLaughlin) a good match with words. But then the movie loses its way, and Matt comes across as completely insensitive and rather unsympathetic. If he had been forced to eat some hmble pie perhaps this film could have amounted to something.

The Christmas Venue

Plot

After her boyfriend breaks up with her, Cait goes home to her dad, and the inn he runs. When she arrives, the inn is empty of guests and also in poor condition. Cait learns that her dad plans to sell it. Unwilling to accept this, Cait gets the idea to revive the place and host weddings there again with the help of a friend who is a wedding planner back home. She recruits Drew, the handyman who usually helps her dad with maintenance, to help her.

Short review

No, it doesn't quite work. Especially since Drew, played by James Liddell, isn't exactly a charmer. Difficult to see any convincing romance.

Retreat to You

Plot

Abby is persuaded by her best friend to join a wilderness retreat. She soon discovers that Sean, who used to be her best friend during school, is also on the retreat. Sean had abandoned her when they were supposed to travel together after school, and they haven't had any contact since then. The meeting becomes very awkward. Now, they are also forced to spend the week at the same camp. It doesn't help that they both get lost together and have to spend time in the wilderness. However, this situation leads them to unravel the reasons behind what happened between them.

Short review

The movie holds together well. The storyline about why they haven't seen each other for many years works, and how they resolve it takes longer than you initially think. It becomes a good romantic story.

Reporting For Christmas

Plot

Mary is a reporter, and for Christmas, she is tasked with writing an article about the classic Christmas toy, Mistle Toad, which is celebrating its anniversary. She is hesitant about the assignment because the manufacturer is a major advertiser on the channel, and she values her journalistic independence. However, she is promised full integrity to write the story as she sees fit. Upon arriving in the small town with the factory, she meets the son of the company's owner, Blake. He is reluctant to participate in an interview because he feels that his father's commercial approach is a bit too much. Mary has to struggle to get a good story, which also involves spending time with Blake.

Short review

The movie meets the standard but doesn't offer anything extra either.

Remember Sunday

Plot

Gus has had a stroke that causes his memory of everything after the stroke to last no more than a day. Every night, he forgets everything and has to write notes to himself to read every morning. Somehow, he still manages to make life work reasonably well. One day, he meets Molly, who works at a café. He write a note that he should try to meet her again. Molly likes him, and he attempts to date her through memory notes. But how long can it last without her noticing that something is amiss?

Short review

The plot resembles the movie 50 First Dates, but I think this one turned out a bit better. The concept of forgetting everything overnight may feel a bit forced, but they manage to create a good romantic story around it.

Puppy Love (2023)

Plot

Nicole takes care of a stray dog as he looks so abandoned. Max, on the other hand, receives advice from his therapist to get a dog, which he reluctantly does. They connect through a dating app and meet with their dogs. The date doesn't go well as they are very different. However, it turns out that their dogs get along so well that Max's dog becomes pregnant. He refuses to handle it alone and reaches out to Nicole. Now, they are dealing with the unexpected pregnancy together. Meanwhile, Nicole is threatened with eviction because she is not allowed to have pets. It becomes quite complicated.

Short review

It is a good movie even if some scenes may be a bit exaggerated. But often, they get away with it by good acting, and overall, it becomes quite charming.

Overnight Delivery

Plot

Paul and his girlfriend attend different colleges, and when he gets the impression from a phone call that she's seeing somone else, he goes out to drown his sorrows with his friends. Out there, he meets Ivy, who moonlights as a stripper. She convinces him to be the one to initiate a breakup, and they send a message via FedEx. The next day, he realizes it was a misunderstanding and sets out to try to stop the shipment. He drags Ivy with him, considering her partially responsible for sending the message, as she has a car. However, the delivery guy is very duty-bound and determined to successfully deliver the message.

Short review

Don't know if the movie was less bad in 1998, but it certainly hasn't stood the test of time.

Mystic Christmas

Plot

Marine biologist Juniper travels between projects. For Christmas, she plans to go to Norway, but her best friend contacts her, explaining that they urgently need help with a rehabilitated seal that needs to be prepared for release into the wild. She adjusts her plans and goes to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut to help her best friend. What she didn't anticipate was that her best friend's brother, Sawyer, would also be there. They had a brief relationship 10 years ago, and the situation becomes quite awkward.

Short review

A "run of the mill" romantic movie, really, but it had some charm and subtle nuances in the acting, so it still received the second-highest rating.

Our Take On Love

Plot

The fashion designer Isabella is a true romantic who loves the story of the Godfreys and their love saga from a hundred years ago. When she suddenly gets the opportunity to design a dress for the hundredth anniversary at the Godfrey family estate, she is overjoyed as it also means she gets to stay at the estate. However, it turns out that filmmaker Blake has been tasked with making a documentary about the anniversary. She has met him before and been irritated by his constant questioning of the truthfulness of the old love story.

Short review

Actually, nothing wrong with the production itself, but for me, it falls flat because the whole concept feels forced. Additionally, they lack chemistry.

Never Been Chris'd

Plot

Naomi and Liz have been best friends since childhood, accompanying each other through school and the professional world, where they co-founded a tech company. They even live next to each other. Naomi has promised her mom to come home for the holidays (even though she should have said no), so they both head to their old hometown. There, they run into Chris Silver, who was the most attractive guy in school, admired by both from afar. Now, they are confronted not only with him but also with their old classmates, but things have changed since their school days.

Short review

It never becomes a direct love triangle drama, and even though the film maintains decent quality, it can sometimes be a bit ridiculous. SPOILER ALERT: I think Liz could have gotten something more than just organizing a party.

My Christmas Guide

Plot

Peyton has a company that trains guide dogs, and one day, while she's out training the dog Max, she spots Trevor picking up his daughter from school. Trevor has been blind for a few years and is trying to navigate life as a literature professor and single dad. His daughter has been wanting to get a guide dog for a long time, and when Peyton later reaches out to them, Trevor is eventually persuaded to give Max chance, even though he's initially hesitant. Peyton becomes involved in training Trevor and the dog together as she has plenty of time as her self-absorbed boyfriend is away.

Short review

A good romantic film about finding a good life as a blind person. It bears a strong resemblance to the movie "Guiding Emily", which shares the same theme. However, this one is a bit more believable from the perspective of training with a guide dog. It doesn't receive as high a rating in my opinion because it was good but had some cracks in production quality. Still, a good film nonetheless.

Merry Magic Christmas

Plot

Beth works as a financial advisor, so her sister, who serves on the board of the local theater company, asks Beth to step in and review the company's finances as they are struggling to survive until next year. Since the company has played a significant role in her niece's development, Beth willingly agrees. The challenge, however, is that Beth must now contend with Nate, the creative director of the theater company. Beth must try to make Nate understand that everything won't magically fall into place and that they need to work together to straighten out the finances.

Short review

The movie delivers what it's supposed to without any major surprises.

Mr. Christmas

Plot

Zoe has just started her own PR firm but is struggling to get clients. To promote her agency, she decides to work with a contestant for the city's Mr. Christmas competition. The challenge is to find a suitable contestant. That's when she meets Sam, who works at the local bookstore where he impresses her with his ability to interact with Zoe's niece. She decides to convince Sam to participate in the competition and let her handle the campaign. It's not an easy task, as Sam enjoys his quiet life.

Short review

A romantic story that holds up well without particularly standing out from the crowd. Naturally, it includes most of the activities one would expect from a romantic Christmas film.

Love Is in the Air

Plot

Dana is a pilot for a small airline in Australia. The company was started by her mother and is now being carried on by Dana and her father. However, things are a bit rocky as Dana prefers to focus on the company's social mission rather than the more lucrative tourism industry. William works for his father in London. His father is a financier who has previously invested in Dana's airline. William is sent to Australia to liquidate the company but soon becomes involved in the operations and Dana's strong determination to continue her mother's legacy.

Short review

A movie with a lot of aviation can never be wrong. However, the film maintains a fairly standard quality as a romantic movie.

Love at First Sight

Plot

Hadley misses her flight to London. While waiting for the next flight, she meets Oliver, who is also heading to London. They happen to sit next to each other on the plane, and during the journey, a connection forms between them. However, when they go through passport control, they are separated without having exchanged contact information. Both of them, on their own, start searching for each other in London without much to go on.

Short review

A very good romantic story that also touches on emotions following parents' divorce and cancer. It feels fairly genuine even though it's, of course, a romantic saga. I especially liked the approach with a narrator who is also involved in the scenes.

Lease on Love

Plot

Poppy works with marketing for an influencer where her efforts aren't fully appreciated. When they decide to enlist an external PR specialist, Milo, he insists on working directly with Poppy instead of the influencer. Upon realizing that Poppy resides in the house where he's attempting to rent a penthouse from the very meticulous landlord, Milo comes up with the idea for him and Poppy to fake a relationship to win favour with the landlord. Poppy, who has a boyfriend, is initially very sceptical about the idea but eventually allows herself to be persuaded.

Short review

We have seen this setup in several different versions. This one holds the average and is reasonably watchable even though there are better ones.

A Cozy Christmas Quilt

Plot

The craft center where Amy usually sews with her friends is condemned as a fire hazard by the firefighter Liam. Now the center is threatened with closure in 30 days. In the meantime, Liam learns that his sister is getting married in four weeks. In their family, there was a tradition where the mother used to sew a quilt for her daughter's wedding, but since their parents have passed away, Liam decides that he will make a quilt. However, he knows nothing about it and turns to Amy for help. In exchange for helping them improve the fire safety, Amy agrees to teach him how to make a quilt.

Short review

This is a well-functioning movie, and I would say 4+ but not quite 5.

My Father's Will

Plot

Ferro lives the playboy life as a successful IT millionaire. But on his deathbed, his father forces him to promise to travel away and live without money for at least one whole month. Despite his company being threatened by a hostile takeover, he keeps his promise and travels to New York after borrowing the identity of his chauffeur. In New York, he eventually gets a job as a chauffeur for a hopeless and wealthy family. He also meets Diana, who works as a realtor in the company owned by the family.

Short review

The movie actually has a somewhat questionable quality and could have been much better, but it still has a certain charm and might be worth watching nonetheless.

A Magical Christmas Village

Plot

When Summer's mom becomes homeless, she temporarily moves in with Summer and her daughter Chloe. She brings along miniatures of the buildings in the town where they live, which Summer's dad once made. As Chloe begins to set them up along with the accompanying figures, reality starts to adjust based on how she places them. Among other things, Ryan, a construction engineer, comes to town to visit his brother over Christmas, and he and Summer share some common ground as she is an architect.

Short review

The movie is well-made and not entirely light hearted. They have put together a reasonably good story despite the somewhat magical theme (which doesn't overshadow everything).

Napa Ever After

Plot

Just as Cassandra receives an offer to become a partner at the law firm where she works, she learns that she has inherited her grandmother's vineyard in Napa Valley. She hasn't had any contact with her grandmother since her family left the estate when she was little. She quickly goes there to have the estate appraised for sale. When she arrives, old memories resurface, and she also receives some letters from her grandmother that lead her to reassess and decide to revive the estate. She is assisted by Dan, who had previously helped her grandmother with the vineyard.

Short review

A reasonably good movie that delivers as expected. Saving vineyards is a popular theme.

Laggies

Plot

Megan struggles to find her way in life. She has a part-time job at her dad's and has been in a long-term relationship for a while, but she doesn't feel at home in it. When her boyfriend proposes to her on the same night she discovers her dad cheating on her mom, she just wants to get away. While in town, she meets some teenagers and becomes friends with, among others, Annika. She asks if she can stay with Annika and her dad, Craig, for a week while she tries to sort out her life.

Short review

Better than I thought it would be after watching the trailer. It's mostly about Megan's journey, which is portrayed well by Keira Knightley. More Hollywood than Hallmark, if I may say so.

Mistletoe Ranch

Plot

Aimée is a very busy photography assistant (often stepping in when the photographer is absent). When she hears that the Christmas celebration at her family's farm, which she still owns even though she hasn't visited it in several years, has been canceled, she goes there to make sure it happens. She is confronted with James, who manages the farm for her. They were engaged before she pursued her career as a photographer.

Short review

It turns out to be a standardly good romantic movie, although it can be a bit difficult to keep up with the twists and turns in the beginning. They manage to tie it all together with simple solutions.

Never Too Late to Celebrate

Plot

Camilas's boss is about to quit, which means she'll have a lot more work to do as a dentist. She doesn't have much spare time, especially not for romance or celebrating her upcoming 30th birthday. But when she visits her mom at the school where she works, she bumps into Javi, who also works there. He piques Camila's interest in the Spanish language and Mexican traditions (Camilas's dad was a Mexican immigrant but quickly assimilated as an American). The idea emerges that Camila should celebrate her 30th birthday with a double quinceañera.

Short review

Another movie with the married couple PenaVega (it's the fourth time I've seen them find each other now). It holds up well as a romantic film. It doesn't offer any surprises but is feel-good as it should be.

No Strings Attached

Plot

Emma and Adam have bumped into each other a few times since the summer camp 15 years ago, but there has never been anything between them. When Adam discovers that his dad is dating his former girlfriend, he gets drunk and calls all the girls he knows. The next day, he wakes up in an apartment with medical students, one of whom is Emma. One thing leads to another, and they end up in bed together. However, they decide to keep it purely physical and not pursue a relationship. Will it work out?

Short review

A good and entertaining story that stands out from the crowd. It's not a standard story and is a bit more explicit than a Hallmark movie, which is a plus.

Sleeping with Other People

Plot

Lainey and Jake lose their virginity to each other one night during college, but then there's nothing more. Twelve years later, they happen to cross paths again. By this time, Jake is almost addicted to one-night stands. Lainey has just lost her boyfriend because she cheated (with the same man she's known since college). They're drawn to each other but decide to keep their friendship platonic given their histories. However, it becomes increasingly difficult to just be friends.

Short review

A bit unexpectedly good. Didn't quite know what to expect after watching the trailer, but it turns out well, even if it doesn't always feel comfortable.

The More Love Grows

Plot

Helen is completely taken aback after their daughter moves away to college when her husband suddenly suggests they should separate. She struggles to adjust to living alone. At the same time, a dog keeps appearing repeatedly. Eventually, Helen takes the dog to a veterinarian named Ben, who promises to find it a new home. However, Helen has a change of heart and decides to take care of the dog until its rightful owner can be found. Suddenly having a dog isn't so easy, but she receives some help from Ben.

Short review

It becomes a good romantic movie about finding a new life after a divorce.

Just Go with It

Plot

Dentist Danny wears the wedding ring he bought for the wedding that his intended bride cancelled at the last minute. He wears it to appear complication-free for casual connections. When he suddenly meets a girl he really wants to continue seeing, things get immediately complicated. He invents a story that he is in the process of divorcing his fictional wife. But soon, he finds that he needs to introduce this fictional wife and convinces his assistant to pretend to be his wife. It all soon spirals out of control when her children enter the equation, and in the end, he finds himself on vacation in Hawaii with his new girlfriend, his 'ex-wife,' and her children.

Short review

Not entirely pointless movie, but still quite clichéd. With over 10 years behind it, one can conclude that it wouldn't be the same if it were made today.

Match Me If You Can

Plot

Kip is an underrated developer who feels a bit out of place in her nerdiness. One night, when she's a bit tipsy, she signs up for a dating service, and when she receives a response that she's unmatched, she blogs about it on her somewhat obscure blog. However, the post quickly goes viral and becomes a threat to the dating company 'I Promise.' The company is a small family-owned business started by the slightly nerdy son, Riley. They have different opinions on how to handle the blog, but it soon becomes challenging for Kip.

Short review

Here, I think they got it right. There are other movies with a similar theme, but this one turns out really good. It becomes entertaining in its 'quirkiness,' and the romance is depicted sweetly.

Making Waves

Plot

Amelia convinces her boss to try and sign a contract with a new band she heard on the internet. If she succeeds in signing the band, she might get a promotion to work with indie music. The band is scheduled to perform in her old hometown, so she books herself into the hotel run by her best friend from her youth. Once there, she also runs into Will, whom she dated during school. Things become even more complicated but interesting when she realizes that he is the lead singer of the band she's chasing.

Short review

A well-crafted romantic movie with strong performances. The theme of returning to one's hometown and first love may be somewhat clichéd, but this is one of the better versions.

Love in Taipei

Plot

Ever has just finished school and plans to start her medical studies in the fall. Over the summer, her parents send her to Taipei, Taiwan, for a course to learn more about her roots since she grew up entirely in Oklahoma. Ever isn't very enthusiastic about the idea; she would have preferred to focus on getting into the dance program she has secretly dreamed of. When she arrives in Taipei, she soon realizes that the course is nothing like what she expected, and most people there are mostly interested in partying and finding romance.

Short review

Yeah, but it turns out pretty good. I'm generally a bit hesitant about "collage" movies, but this one probably doesn't quite fit into that genre. She eventually finds her romance (and her freedom from her parents' choices) after a few detours.

From Italy With Amore

Plot

Ariel is a writer for a health magazine. When she is out with a friend and co-worker, she spots a man who seems to meet her expectations of a dream guy. She manages to find out that he frequents the Italian restaurant that she and her friend visited. Ariel now tries to visit the restaurant as often as she can, and eventually convinces her editor that she should write an article about Italian cuisine. This also means that she gets to know Daniel, who owns the restaurant along with his brother.

Short review

As a romantic movie, this one is above average. It may not stand out tremendously, but it is well-crafted as a romantic film.

Aloha Heart

Plot

Sara is an ecologist who specializes in water purification. But now, she's taking a break from all her ongoing projects to attend her best friend's wedding in Hawaii. At the hotel they're staying at, Manu has just been entrusted by his parents, who own the hotel, to be the manager alongside his brother. The hotel needs to update its eco-friendly facilities, but Manu is having trouble getting his parents' approval. However, Sara finds it hard to let go of her ecological passion and keeps urging Manu that the hotel needs an upgrade.

Short review

The movie works well as a romantic film, even though it waits until the last moment for the resolution and feels a bit rushed toward the end.

Arranged Love

Plot

Meera escapes from her arranged marriage in India. Several years later, she is a successful app developer in the USA. However, they suddenly encounter problems with an investor, and Meera needs access to the inheritance she was supposed to receive on the day she married an Indian man. She now hatches a plan to find a fake fiancé to take with her to India to showcase in order to claim the inheritance. She meets Rama, who, after persuasion from Meera's friend, agrees to pretend to be Meera's husband. They travel to India, and things quickly become complicated.

Short review

Yeah, but it turns out better than you'd expect. It's a bit more 'modern' than I anticipated. I think they've put together a reasonably good story even though the movie would have benefited from a proper epilogue.

Away and Back

Plot

Jack runs a farm where he lives with his three children. In the small lake on the farm, a pair of swans moves in, much to the delight of his youngest daughter. However, when the swan mother dies in an accident, she becomes worried about the eggs and contacts Jennie, who researches swans. When Jennie realizes that the swan father on the farm is one of her ring-marked swans, she goes there and becomes involved in the survival of the swan family. Jack isn't too thrilled about the intrusion into his operation, but soon, his children are involved in Jennie's activities.

Short review

The movie holds up and turns out decently well (for a romantic film) with just the right amount of complications and a bit of excitement towards the end.

Georgia Rock

Plot

The star Bobby is burnt out, and when he can't go on anymore, he buys a car and a bottle of Jim Beam and hits the road. He crashes in the countryside and is taken care of by Vicky and her father, who run the local garage. Bobby asks to stay to recover. Meanwhile, his manager and band members are looking for him.

Short review

Actually, it's incomprehensible why I'm giving this a 4. The film quality actually deserves a 2 with mediocre acting, poor direction, and a clichéd plot. But perhaps because it maintains a quality reminiscent of a religious film, and you're constantly expecting the religious moral lessons, you feel relieved when they don't quite materialize.

See You on Venus

Plot

Kyle struggles to get back to life after an accident in which his best friend was injured, and another one died. Mia feels rootless after growing up as a foster child and dreams of finding her real mother, whom she believes is in Spain. Mia convinces Kyle to join her in the search as her original travel companion cannot accompany her.

Short review

A slightly more serious but still good romantic movie. It portrays their very different challenges but also how they slowly unravel each other and help each other move forward.

Single Not Searching

Plot

One out of four girlfriends in Atlanta is getting married in Ghana. Her friends travel along to experience Ghana as well. What follows are a series of complications and romantic hopes.

Short review

This movie feels, to say the least, 'all over the place.' The whole plot feels very messy and disjointed. I should admit that I don't feel like I belong to the target audience for this film, but I just found it exhausting. I also had trouble determining who the actual main couple in this film was, which is why this information is missing (I believe the movie poster is quite clear about that).

A Safari Romance

Plot

Megan divides her time between research and working as a guide in a safari park in South Africa. The park is currently visited by Tim, who is seeking inspiration for a virtual safari-themed theme park in the USA. He has much to learn about how to behave in nature but also receives valuable assistance from Megan in finding great locations and animals for inspiration.

Short review

An okay romantic movie that delivers what it's supposed to. One suspects it's heavily sponsored by South Africa's tourism board.

About Fate

Plot

Margot and Griffin are both on the verge of getting engaged, but Margot's boyfriend breaks up with her, and Griffin's girlfriend wants a bigger and more public proposal. For different reasons, Griffin ends up in a real mess, and by mistake, he finds himself at Margot's apartment. Margot is supposed to attend her sister's wedding on the same day and has promised to bring her now ex-boyfriend. She persuades Griffin to come along and pretend to be her boyfriend, and Griffin agrees as long as he can make it in time for the grand proposal to his girlfriend.

Short review

Actually, a genuine rom-com, and at times quite funny in its setup. They really struggle to find their way amid their commitments, but as it should, it eventually works out.

A Guy Thing

Plot

The morning after his bachelor party, Paul wakes up in his bed. Next to him lies an unfamiliar woman named Becky. He quickly makes it clear to her that he is getting married and that she needs to leave immediately, hoping that this will not affect the upcoming wedding. However, Becky keeps showing up in various places, and eventually, it turns out that she is the cousin of his future bride. The situation becomes, to say the least, complicated.

Short review

Not entirely pointless movie, but the 20 years that have passed since its release are noticeable, and sometimes the humor becomes a bit too childish.

Along Came Polly

Plot

On his honeymoon, Reuben discovers his newlywed wife in bed with their scuba diving instructor. Back home, he tries to quickly recover from the marriage that crashed. Soon, he meets Polly, who went to the same school as Reuben and is now living what one might call a nomadic life. He's immediately drawn to her despite them not having much in common.

Short review

Ben Stiller isn't exactly a star actor, and in a rather childish comedy, nearly 20 years old, he really doesn't shine either.

Romance Retreat

Plot

Dana is a reporter and is set to write an exposé article about the social media platform En-Cyke and how poorly they handle personal information, all while trying to uncover the identity of its owner. At the same time, she's going on a yoga retreat with her boyfriend. She doesn't really like yoga, and things get worse when she discovers that the retreat is not in Indonesia, as she thought, but in Canada. She tries to work during the retreat, but it quickly goes awry. However, Dana garners sympathy from Stefan, who is attending the retreat as a single participant despite it being a couples' retreat.

Short review

The movie is good and stays around the average for a romantic film. No big surprises and some yoga.

Love Amongst the Stars

Plot

Heidi is an astronomer, hoping to prove the existence of a legendary comet that could become the discovery to secure the resources for building a new observatory for the university. Her mother dedicated her entire life to proving it, and now Heidi hopes for a breakthrough. However, the university's new history professor, August, introduces fresh perspectives to the research, and eventually, they begin working together to find the evidence and determine when the comet might become visible again.

Short review

A star-studded tale that maintains the standard of a good romantic story.

Love Potion No. 9

Plot

Paul and Diane are two researchers who aren't very successful when it comes to the opposite sex. Paul visits a fortune teller who gives him a drink that makes him irresistible to the opposite sex. Diane and Paul analyze the drink and manage to duplicate it, and suddenly they can charm anyone they want. It all goes a bit too well in the end, and it becomes complicated. Can Paul seek the fortune teller's help once more to succeed in real love?

Short review

The movie is quite old and hasn't aged well. You can catch a glimpse of a few mullet haircuts. Simply not worth watching.

10 Truths About Love

Plot

Carina is writing a column about love, drawing heavily from her own relationship. However, when her boyfriend breaks up with her, she is left bewildered. At the same time, she gets a new colleague, Liam, who is supposed to co-write the love column with her. Convinced that she should win back her boyfriend because they belong together, she seeks Liam's assistance to succeed. But is that really what she wants?

Short review

The movie lacks engagement and never truly convinces. The performances could have been better.

A Bridesmaid In Love

Plot

Cate's relationship is on the back burner, and she mostly dedicates herself to writing for a wedding magazine and volunteering for charity as a bridesmaid. Now, her friend is getting married, and her brother Matt, whom Cate was friends with during school, comes to town. They have to work together to arrange the wedding, and old feelings resurface.

Short review

This film team never looked up the word "sublime" in the dictionary. There is, so to speak, no suspense left; the film is a 'done deal' more or less from the start.

A Christmas Frequency

Plot

Kenzie produces a talk show on the radio, but the star of the show has lost her spark after separating from her husband. In an attempt to save the show, Kenzie convinces the star to admit to her separation and agree to go on numerous blind dates during the broadcasts to boost listener ratings. However, Kenzie is suddenly taken aback when Ben, whom she recently met and genuinely likes, appears as one of the contestants seeking a blind date with the star.

Short review

Yes, it holds up. Decently good performances, and Ansley Gordon portrays Kenzie as a positive force facing her challenges.

A Christmas Spark

Plot

Molly is looking forward to her daughter's family coming over for Christmas, but they call and say they can't make it and instead ask her to come to them. This turns everything upside down for Molly, who holds even tighter to Christmas traditions after becoming a widow. However, she goes to her daughter's home, where she soon becomes involved in the town's Christmas play. In the play, Hank participates, gradually helping Molly break out of the life that had stagnated after her husband's death.

Short review

The movie is a bit unusual as the main characters are 60+, which feels refreshing. It is also well-executed.

A Christmas Village

Plot

Piper works in PR and ends up on a talk show with Tim, who owns a Christmas-themed amusement park. Tim is a disaster on the show, and to divert attention from a looming PR catastrophe that could affect herself, Piper promises to donate her time and PR expertise to help Tim's park avoid going under.

Short review

This movie has nothing going for it. The story isn't necessarily worse than any other, but the execution is completely off. Yet another film that needed a different producer, a different director, and different actors, especially the children. We know Madeline Leon can do better.

A Priceless Love

Plot

Rose runs an antique shop. One day, she is persuaded by her best friend to bring a teapot to an antique show in town. It turns out that the teapot is worth a lot of money. Rose gets contacted by Joe, who is also an antique dealer and has a customer interested in buying the teapot. However, Rose doesn't want to sell it until she has found out who originally brought it into the store, unaware of its value.

Short review

The movie is a good romantic film, even though it doesn't stand out from the crowd either.

What Happens in Vegas

Plot

Joy gets dumped by her boyfriend and is persuaded by her friend to go to Vegas. Jack gets kicked out of his father's company by his dad. He and his friend also come up with the idea to go to Vegas. Both pairs happen to be double-booked in the same room. One thing leads to another, and after a wild night, Joy and Jack wake up married to each other. On top of that, Jack accidentally wins the jackpot with a coin he received from Joy. They try to get a divorce, but in court, they are given the task of living together for six months. Now, a battle ensues to get the other to leave and get their hands on the money.

Short review

At times, a somewhat tireing movie that hasn't entirely stood the test of time. Nevertheless, it still has its qualities.

My Boss's Daughter

Plot

Tom is infatuated with his boss's daughter, Lisa. One day, when she's about to attend a party, she asks Tom if he can come to their place at seven. When he arrives there, it turns out that Lisa meant for him to be the house sitter at his boss's house so she can go to the party. Tom, who is willing to do anything for Lisa, agrees. However, soon enough, one strange person after another starts showing up, and Tom finds it increasingly difficult to keep the house peaceful, clean, and intact.

Short review

Occasionally a bit tiresome comedy that easily becomes exaggerated. Not entirely without its moments but definitely not convincing.

Plus One

Plot

Alice and Ben have been friends since college. Now, Alice's boyfriend has dumped her while Ben is still on the hunt for the perfect girl. However, this summer is filled with weddings, and Alice doesn't want to attend them alone. Ben also sees it as a challenge, even though he hopes to meet the girl of his dreams. To make it a little less boring, they make a pact to be each other's +1 at the various weddings. One challenge for Ben is that the last wedding is his own father's wedding, and he wants Ben to be the best man.

Short review

This one is good. The setup is familiar, but this time it's a bit rougher around the edges, and the characters are indeed characters, especially Alice.

That Awkward Moment

Plot

Mikey's wife wants a divorce, and to support him, his friends Jason and Daniel decide to help him become like them, who never have a serious relationship. They form a pact with a focus on living life and not getting tied down. However, it all becomes a greater challenge than they had anticipated, especially after Jason meets Ellie (and David has become more than just friends with their mutual friend Chelsea).

Short review

The movie is decent and not entirely without merit, but Jason's and Daniel's pretty awful attitude towards treating girls from the beginning of the film diminishes the impression for me. That they would change so much seems quite unrealistic.

The First Time

Plot

When Dave stands outside a party, trying to muster up the courage to talk to the girl he's in love with, he meets Aubrey, who is also at the same party. Aubrey, a year below Dave and with a slightly older boyfriend, starts talking to Dave about his nervousness. They go together from the party and then meet each other essentially throughout the coming weekend. Dave begins to realize that there's something other than the girl he was interested in, and Aubrey sees something better than her boyfriend.

Short review

I thought this would be a typical collage film, but it's actually better than that and portrays young romance well.

The Switch

Plot

Kassie and Wally have been friends since their school days. One day, Kassie reveals that she feels her biological clock ticking and is considering getting pregnant with a donor's sperm. She finds a donor, and one of her other friends throws a party to commemorate the occasion. However, Wally gets deeply affected and, in a drunken stupor, he switches the donor's sperm sample with his own. Seven years later, Kassie returns to New York, and Wally gets to meet her son. Slowly, memories start resurfacing, and Wally realizes what he has done and what Kassie is unaware of.

Short review

The movie isn't exactly flawless, but it turns out well nonetheless, largely thanks to the performances, and the production is more Hollywood than Hallmark.

Tumbledown

Plot

Hannah struggles with life after losing her husband, a country artist who was on the verge of his big breakthrough. Her existence in the small wilderness town is disrupted by Andrew, who wants to write a book about her husband. She is strongly against the idea due to all the sensational articles, etc., and also because she wants to write a biography of her husband herself. However, she realizes her limitations and hires Andrew to co-write the biography with her. Andrew arrives and also uncovers a few things during their work.

Short review

A well-constructed romantic film about dealing with grief and moving forward in life. And it's not just Hannah's grief that needs to be addressed. I liked how this plot unfolded.

To Her, with Love

Plot

Kayla's substitute teaching position at an elite school abruptly ends when the regular teacher returns. She goes back home to her mother, who promptly arranges an interview for a job at her old school. Kayla, who originally wants to attend an education program in London, is hesitant but is persuaded to take the position during the interview. There, she will work alongside Jordan and the other teachers.

Short review

I tried my best to like this movie, but it didn't engage me.

Trainwreck

Plot

Amy has grown up with a dad who has constantly drilled her that monogamy isn't natural. This has resulted in Amy always seeking new, casual relationships and not even then being faithful. She works as a reporter, and now she gets the opportunity for a promotion if she writes a profile on sports doctor Aaron. Meeting Aaron slowly makes her question her attitude towards relationships.

Short review

Not entirely pointless, but it still doesn't feel quite good. They haven't quite nailed it, and the movie feels older than it is.

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