Liebe in Action

It is an OK movie. No villains, no fake drama, no spectacular fireworks. If you need a feel-good movie and you don't mind stereotypes, some awkwardness and predictable plot, give it a try.

The male lead is natural and credible enough.

The female lead is acceptable. She is by no means overweight or unpleasant looking. It's just that her body is definitely not that of a woman exercising for a job, eating healthy, obsessed with health, nutrition and exercise. That part is not believable and the film would have worked if she were a nutritionist or, maybe, if she just wore some different clothes.

L Loved all of the cast. They were appealing and did well. It was funny to see Christopher Russell with a huge gut. I suspect he had fun playing that character. Always enjoy Latonya Williams and Cindy Busby as well. Even the writing was pretty good. Unfortunately the plot was lacking. Not much happening other than the usual. Pretty uneventful with no build up of tension, anticipation or suspense.

7.2 stars.

As stated in many previous reviews, this is the same story done with a different slant. Instead of city girl meets outdoors guy at a national park, it's a city and country fitness girl meets celebrity guy at a wellness/fitness resort in the woods with a lake. All Hallmark did here was pick one of the half dozen usual plots, and then tweak the background of the woman and the man just a little. There is literally nothing more to the recipe than that. What makes "Warming up to You" special is the pooch they wrapped on the man to make him look like he's got belly fat. It's the most obnoxious attempt I've seen in a while. He's thin, muscular, wiry, with a jutting pouch just above the waistline, it looks like a concealed fanny pack. Why waste our time with this ridiculousness? There are a million other ways to make a person seem out of shape.

The romance is very slow, and the title of the film is the perfect description of the theme which is about how it takes her several weeks to warm up to him. Most of this story has been done in a hundred different ways in other films and this one is not original by any means (except for the fake belly), but the acting is heartwarming and the chemistry is good.

It is hard to make Russell look unattractive. I still don't feel much chemistry between them. Their story lines are a little weak, so maybe they are doing the best they can. Worth one watch. Would not need to watch again.

Like many, I was disturbed by the thought of Chris Russell in a fat suit and the potential for body shaming. But despite my initial misgivings, this movie turned out better than expected. The fat suit was an epic fail and totally unnecessary (just have him wear baggy clothes), but the story was engaging enough, and they snuck through a couple of lines that I never thought I'd hear in a Hallmark movie (a female character whose last name is Netherregions and a reference to someone dropping a deuce after you hear a toilet flush in the background?). Overall an enjoyable watch.