Notes of Autumn

Notes of Autumn set the Fall season for me. I am a fan of Luke MacFarlane, and was happy to see him in this movie. The female lead, Ashley Williams, is delightful. She reminded me of a young Cybill Shepherd.

Luke and Ashley are best buds who live in different cities. Both are having work problems and decide to switch houses for 2 weeks.

In the switch, each meets a friend of the other, and friendship and eventual romance blossoms. (It is Hallmark). Luke meets Peter Porte, an aspiring chef, and Ashley meets Marcus Rosner, who is a musician .

I am so very glad Hallmark included the gay storyline, casting two out gay actors in the roles. The movie is typical Hallmark, but it was sweet and cute and well done.. I'm hoping to watch Luke MacFarlane in more movies.

Notes of Autumn is well worth watching, for the dual main "will they or won't they" storylines to the casting to the strong element of music. I usually give any Hallmark movie a chance when Luke MacFarlane and Ashley Williams are in it, but add Marcus Rosner and Peter Porte in and you've got yourself a darn good party. And how genius it was to cast Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith in minor, but meaningful, humorous roles. Those two together elevate any show/movie they're in.

The storylines were well written and delightfully acted and that also goes for everyone in the supporting cast. This particular ensemble worked really well together and all the pairings had a very believable, easy chemistry. Hallmark would be wise to continue tapping into the ensemble format because this movie proves it can do it very well and the possibilities are endless. If you're looking for an interesting, fun fall romcom, look no further. For me, it was like opening up a box of chocolates and finding all good pieces. Very enjoyable!

... bad acting, fake sets and predictable moments.

But I wanted to review it just cause in the few instances I've seen gay characters on Hallmark, then I've checked reviews here and it was honestly hilarious: all they do is their usual predictable love story and then share a peck in the last 3 minutes.

And then I came here to find reviews like: "well, I just wanted to relax, I didn't came here to find political propaganda" or "I don't know why Hallmark needs to do movies like these"...

People finding outrageous such a completely plain movie just cause of the gay factor was really something. If you can't even enjoy a movie because of that, wow lol.

Cheer up and revisit your priorities in life.

This is a lovely movie and a joy to watch. No over-the-top, formulaic drama-just a nice premise about good people learning to take leaps of faith in life and love. Each of the cast members is a good fit with the other; and whether love interests or friends, they all have great on-screen chemistry. It's believable and fun, and especially nice to see a normal storyline among gay men-no one's dying or persecuted-just living a normal life with personal struggles that are relatable to all of us. Luke Macfarlane and Peter Porte make a perfect couple, as do Ashley Williams and Marcus Rosner. With its great cast and beautiful fall filmography, Notes of Autumn truly embodies the warmth of fall and is one of those films you can enjoy over and over again.

If you've been following my blog, you'll know by now that I'm not a huge fan of romantic comedies - simply because I find them predictable. While 'Notes of Autumn' is also every bit predictable, the journey isn't as clichéd. This film also explores a heterosexual and a gay romance all in one. It's like 'The Holiday' with a gay twist.

The first thing about the film that grabbed me, was how likable the characters were, and how wonderful the actors portray them. There's great chemistry between all the characters, not only the romantic ones. I enjoyed the character set-up, and the natural flow of the film. It was relatable instead of sensational, and I loved that.

The absolutely gorgeous Luke Macfarlane stars as novelist Leo Carrington, who is suddenly experiencing writer's block with his latest novel. His editor suggests a change of scenery to inspire him. Leo's best friend is Ellie Matthews (wonderfully portrayed by Ashley Williams). She is working for an event management company but constantly finds herself distracted - by music - and is fired as a result. Also needing a change of scenery, she suggests to Leo that they swap places for two weeks.

So Leo heads off to stay in Ellie's apartment. Only, she never told him she gave access to her kitchen to her chef friend Matt (Peter Porte), who is gay. And Leo never told Ellie he promised his friend Sam (the delicious Marcus Rosner) that Ellie would help him with a music show. Through many hilarious moments, romance ensues.

I enjoyed the fact the romance didn't feel forced. It developed in a very natural way, and the characters were really sweet. I also liked the way sex was the furthest thing from their minds, and their respective relationships were based on true emotion (not lust). Honestly, 'Notes of Autumn' had me smiling from beginning to end; overcome with an unusual sensation of absolute joy! This was just fabulous. I loved it!