Der Duft von Apfelblüten

7.7 stars.

I like a good mystery, this one was orchestrated well enough to keep us guessing just a little and doing a bit of nail biting, and then it all unravels at the end to a predictable climax. Yes it's woke, yes it's got some far fetched ideas about uber rare coins and holocaust survivors, and people dying in mysterious ways, and the secrets kept by several seemingly saintly people for no good reason. This extremely savvy woman and her equally savvy mother are the butt of the whole generational joke, but who is keeping score? I liked the film for the entertaining twists and turns. She speaks 3 languages? Right. He is a pilot, was in the navy, and has been to multiple countries, and is now a banker? Right. Her grandfather was a self-made orchard owner in Napa valley right in the heart of the best agricultural land on the whole planet and they can't sell the place? You mean they spent 20 million on cancer treatment? Ok, something doesn't add up.

The movie is entertaining, wokeness and illogic notwithstanding. What can I say, I've been suspense deprived for too long watching all these syrupy romances, it's nice to have a maudlin mystery for once.

I struggle to rate this hallmark film. I love Hallmark regular Niall Matters and Rachel Lefevre was just fine. I really liked that this was about an apple orchard (and not another vineyard) and I loved the main characters career around antiques...and all of the antiques shown (was that a Parker slag lamp on the desk? And I have that very same brass letter holder!).

The story was VERY loosely based on the Susan Wiggs novel The Apple Orchard. The main character, Tess Delaney, is up for a very coveted position acquiring antiques for the prestigious New York firm of Sotheby's. Meanwhile an unknown gentleman keeps trying to contact her...it turns out she has inherited half of an orchard and estate from a grandfather she never knew and surprise!...she has a half sister that inherited the other half. Then she discovers the estate is in financial trouble...enter the story of their grandmother whose wealthy Jewish family fled the Nazi's during WWII, possibly with some kind of treasure.

The base story was a decent one and could have been well done. Unfortunately, it was just ok.

The part I really didn't like...was the random lesbian storyline that felt out of place to the rest of the story. It's like the put it in out of requirement and made no effort to actually work it in seamlessly with the story. Thus it felt forced and awkward or as some reviewers have commented...like a moral lesson. No issue with a lesbian storyline, but I would prefer to see it done well.

I'm afraid I can't really recommend this hallmark film to loyal hallmark romantics like myself...or fans of mysteries, sorry.

Best Points: The Actors: especially the leads- Niall Matter and LeFevre are excellent . Their difficult and sometimes impossible Jobs are to flesh- out and fill the holes in the underdeveloped script. .. a. Mystery of Family and hidden clues.

Weakest Points: Trying to develop a good and well written storyline in Hallmark's standard 1 1/2 hour format. Really doesn't work well here.

Many layers of the plot and well drawn inter-connection between characters - sadly never happen

Worth the. Watch? Yes, good actors and the location make it worth the short watch, but you leave wanting something more substantial.

I'm a big fan of Rachel Lefevre, the redhead beauty who plays Tess. I also like Hallmark vet Niall Matter, who plays Dominic. Rachel was in another solid Hallmark movie this year called Moriah's Lighthouse and Niall was in a really great Hallmark movie this year called Rip in Time.

This is NOT another cookie cutter Hallmark movie. It's an engaging lost and found story that was somewhat reminiscent of The Christmas Note and My Christmas Family Tree (2 great Hallmark movies that explored the emotional impact of having a complicated and incomplete family history).

The Secrets of Bella Vista is based on the novel The Apple Orchard by New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs and ties a key plot point about old historical items to the escape, by Tess' grandparents, from Nazi-occupied Denmark during World War II. Tess, unaware of this history, coincidentally has an interesting job as a high end art and antiques expert in San Francisco. She's presented as someone too busy to even eat. Just as I was getting annoyed with Tess, I realized the script had given her a believable back story of abandonment that explained most of her actions (with one glaring exception). I also found the explanation for the Orchard's financial problems to be surprisingly credible.

I was drawn in by the story and appreciated the careful plot details that made this a (mostly) believable family mystery. I cared about Tess and Isabel (warmly played by Helena Marie) and was grateful that this wasn't a story of scheming and back stabbing beneficiaries. In fact, Tess was unrealistically portrayed as too far on the other end of the spectrum.

Specifically, it's revealed at the beginning that she's inherited half of a big apple orchard property, home and business near Napa that she thinks is worth as much as $20 million. And yet she flippantly tells the banker she doesn't want it and is willing to sign it over to a newly discovered family member she's never met.

Really??

She's supposedly only 30 years old (which the radiant 43 year old Lefevre pulls off) and though she seems successful, how rich could she possibly be? And who just walks away from what seems like a huge inheritance? Heck, she could have sold her share and donated the proceeds to Ukraine War Relief. Her lack of interest in her inheritance was wildly unrealistic.

But that was just one of only a few off key notes in an otherwise entertaining and enjoyable movie.

Random Observations:

The growing (and wonderful) relationship between Tess and Isabel seemed believably warm and healthy for both of them.

I've heard the phrase "bankers' hours", but the banker in this movie really never seemed to work.

There's a bad outdoor green screen scene at the orchard that looks more fake than most.

There's a terrible, and terribly misplaced, song that plays over the pie baking scene with lyrics that include "we don't need money no, we don't need money for rainy days. We don't need anyone". Ugh. But the scene was cute.

I love Hallmark's increasing inclusion of LGBTQ characters without having their lifestyle being the source of any drama.

Hoping to see Rachel Lefevre again in another Hallmark movie soon.

I have grown tired of the Hallmark formula applied to every movie so this was a very pleasant change. Still Hallmark, but the tired scripts did a pleasant change up, and it really was a pleasant change. A very enjoyable movie, mystery and romance.

There were both a host of new characters, all likable, and a couple of old standbys, also very likable. Great scenery, so they must have sprung for a slightly higher budget, a good choice. Everybody loves a little mystery, some honest appearing suspense, and a happy ending.

Keep the changes coming and trash the worn out storylines that are totally predictable and boring.