A Machu Picchu Proposal

I didn't think a movie could be bad enough to spur me to write my first review but here we are.

To echo the sentiments of other reviewers, I used to enjoy Rhiannon Fish in almost anything but lately she seems to be just 'mailing it in', and the utter lack of chemistry between her and Santos in this one is astounding.

Part of Rhiannon's charm has always been her youthful nature and bubbly effervescence but here it falls flat because Santos seems intent on outdoing her exuberance in what is supposed to pass for spontaneity, or so the writers would have you believe.

Not even the breathtaking scenery or vibrant beauty of Peru on display in the market scenes can save this from being a real stinker.

Do better Hallmark.

I gave Rhiannon Fish one more try since her last 2 movies Polar Opposites and A Costa Rican Wedding totally turned me off. She was a manipulative liar in both those movies and I couldn't like or root for her characters. I figured to be fair, I would try to watch one more Fish movie.

I got as far as the moment when Katie's brother drops his engagement ring and Katie doesn't tell him. She just pockets the ring, so she can "help" her brother Dan later. That's as far as I got. Being manipulative again. Couldn't grab the remote fast enough.

Up to this point, I was already cringing at the lame plot, script and the overacting.

Felt good to end the torture.

Although the filmmakers make some of the beauty of Peru stand out on occasion, it isn't enough to rescue this tepid, unromantic slog. The writing is bad, the plot is sub-par even by Hallmark standards, and the chemistry among the cast is forced and unbelievable. Sadly this is a swing and a miss. I love Peru and looked forward to seeing this but went away disappointed. A couple cast members have some acting chops but whenever they interact with their supposed romantic opposites they look uncomfortable, as if they're in acting class and learning how to feel real.

They get put in some beautiful locations which should help but it never works.

Wow, reading some of these reviews... I totally understand not every creative effort is for every person, every taste, every time. But I'm a pretty big movie fan and very open-minded to different genres, styles and contexts. That said, I don't always gravitate toward Hallmark movies but I really enjoyed this one! I was home with a cold and happened to catch it on TV, and I was pleasantly surprised at how sweet, wholesome, and light-hearted it was. A romance movie I could easily watch with my grandparents and not feel embarrassed. I also loved that it was beautifully (and respectfully) filmed in Peru, and included Peruvian actors. I am particularly excited to see what chef Carlos does next!

Every love story has been told repeatedly, and it's nice to watch a movie that adds a little extra to make it different. I enjoyed the humor and appreciated the attempt to be more realistic with how the story flows. I really liked the fact that the movie wasn't just about one couple, and they tried to bring in more of the supporting roles. I also found it neat that they were trying to be relevant with the younger crowd by bringing in new technological props (360 camera).

I won't lie, there were some moments that seemed a bit awkward and forced between some of the characters. I am not sure if it was the writing for those scenes or the actors, or both. But honestly, I haven't watched a Hallmark movie yet that didn't have at least a little awkwardness between some of its characters!

If this movie could have been longer or made into a mini-series, I feel it would have been so much better. There was so much going on it just felt like everything was crammed together and rushed to me, I wanted to slow the whole story down and see more. More of the characters, more of the story line, more of the location, just more!

Overall, I enjoyed this movie. I look forward to watching what the writers come up with next.