My Argentine Heart

Abril is in-between jobs and she finds out through her cousin who half owns her family ranch that she is planning to sell it. Abril sees an opportunity to improve her CV and saving the ranch, only to find out the offer is extended by her ex boyfriend Diego.

Juan Pablo and Julie have the kind of chemistry that you notice are friends in real life but that's it, I cannot see it in a romantic way, in the same way I cannot see these two characters together for a long time. They have baggage and they find every opportunity to throw it at the other.

That being said, I'm Argentinian, I found out about this movie a month ago, and imagine my surprise when I found out that the two leads were really Argentinian even if they relocated somewhere else a long time ago. They both speak the language perfectly and they didn't take that opportunity with Julie, so I'm sad about that.

What I liked is that the whole cast is local, and you can gather that in the way they speak English. I'm happy they casted and provided jobs for amateur actors.

If someone wonders, not everyone in Argentina owns a ranch but the culture is quite accurate: we like drinking mate any time of the day, we like gatherings and eating asado, vino and sweet things like churros and alfajores for dessert or for "merienda" aka tea time. The pink building is "Casa Rosada" the presidential building, we are also shown "Caminito" and Plaza de Mayo, all located in downtown Buenos Aires. And even the crisis in 2001 is mentioned. Iguazu falls is located in the northern province named "Misiones", approximately and hour and a half by plane from Buenos Aires.

So, as the whole the movie was a joy for me, I felt seen. But seeing it a just a Hallmark movie the romantic chemistry leaves a lot to be desired. The ending alone can leave a couple of questions unanswered.

Dear Hallmark writers. Please stop showing how little you know about real business. For starters, you don't go on an interview unprepared to answer the obvious question: what have you done lately, or in other words, what happened in your last job? Abril talks a big game and keeps talking a big game, but she's all talk and where is the substance?

Then things get complicated, but it is too much business logistics. It dominates too much of the screen time. There is some hardball - threats which amount to extortion. There is a mysterious unpaid loan that makes no sense how it was ignored. But an experienced viewer knows that some miracle will come along to save the day for everyone. The solution for the ranch also doesn't make sense and involves creating one of the most common rom/com obstacles to the re-budding romance.

Meanwhile this is a rom/com. Jousting between the leads early on is expected. I love some witty banter. This wasn't witty. Eventually Abril and Diego settle down to rebuild their relationship.

7.3 stars.

The ambiance of 'My Argentine Heart' is robust and South American. You won't be overly inundated with the usual Hallmark branding, and I think that's a win. The Director and actors create a feeling of something more than just your average romance. This film has depth, family, friends, and great food.

The characters are well developed, and they have a sort of camaraderie that you don't see in most of these types of films. I can't describe it, but this movie feels a bit different. It's like we are transported there and I really enjoy being brought to a remote Argentinian ranch.

This movie really emphasizes some mysterious gaucho lifestyle, which appears to be a counterpart to the North American cowboy lifestyle. They make many comparisons between them.

I feel you might heartily enjoy it, or perhaps the opposite. I couldn't say. It's not one of my favorites, because it's a bit slow for me and the love and attraction are sparse, nevertheless it does create an authentic atmosphere.

Way to go Hallmark! Argentine heart was actually filmed in Argentina! Both lead actors born in Argentina excellent... The vibe and the color and the story all went well together. At times the pacing was a little tedious, but the visual certainly made up for the slow parts of the movie. The horses and the expensiveness of the feeling of the movie came through very nicely. One of the reviews said that the movie presented the Latin American experience respectfully and I agree with that. The story of the way of life of the gaucho was beautifully highlighted. Please no more Nantucket stories filmed in British Columbia! Hallmark please be more authentic with your filming locations. Muchas Gracias.

I'm Latin American and I was very pleasantly surprised by this respectful and for the most part authentic representation of Argentinean culture. The cinematography is gorgeous- that alone makes the film worthwhile.

In addition, the actors are convincing and charming. There is great chemistry among the cast. My only suggestion would be letting the actors speak Spanish (at least when the American lead is not present and it's obvious they have no reason to communicate in English). I have every faith that the audience can withstand a few seconds of subtitles. Also the music when she first lands in Argentina sounds Spanish instead of Argentinean (this always happens when US films try to represent Latin American cultures). But again, the film is surprisingly respectful and feels authentic. Hallmark deserves a lot of credit for its respectful representation of non-US cultures. It's doing a much better job in that regard than Hollywood overall (see: the Emilia Perez controversy and its many Oscar nominations). I particularly enjoyed the scene when they are all singing in Spanish by the fire; more of this please!

Invito a las personas latinas a ver esta película, espero que les guste también. No está tan llena de los típicos estereotipos que siempre vemos en la películas estadounidenses. Good job Hallmark! It's very evident watching the film that you worked with local talent :)