As Luck Would Have It

It's really easy to love a movie with Joanna Swisher, Alan Leech, and Ireland. Plus the clothes she obviously bought while in Ireland were beautiful, especially those sweaters. Or are they jumpers in Ireland. The two had genuine chemistry and real eye contact in their scenes, especially while dancing.

Being a Hallmark movie my wife and I knew what to expect. They are all clean and follow the Hallmark formula. Attractive single woman and attractive single man are attracted to each other but some big differences need to be worked out before they can find real love.

In this story she is a USA based negotiator for a big company that buys properties and builds hotels and resorts. She is sent to a quaint village on the Irish coast to do a deal but the locals don't want to sell unless the old, run-down castle can be preserved. The village badly needs money.

He (a real Irishman) seems to be the local jack of all trades. He runs the pub, he makes his own Irish whiskey, he is involved in the yearly matchmaking festival, and a few other things. Including having played Tom Branson on Downton Abbey.

All in all a nicely entertaining movie, beautifully filmed, viewed at home on DVD from our public library.

This movie seems like it will use the premise of a company sending a woman to do a hatchet job on a small community, in this case by convincing them to tear down their beloved castle. Yes it is a terrible idea but it fits the mold of so many other movies in the same genre. Then of course something would keep that woman in town so she can fall in love with some local hunk. This movie did it in a slightly different way than usual. It was also more realistic than most that follow this premise in that the woman sent to pitch the locals actually goes about it with tact and charm. So many movies that follow this premise have the executive be arrogant and closed minded.

It did set me back a little in enjoyment when the local hunk, Brennan, sets his mind to chase Lindsey away by playing cruel tricks on her as she tries to immerse herself in the local culture. He's the one that's arrogant and closed minded.

Romantically, the ending is predictable, but then this is Hallmark and the world would cease to revolve if there weren't that kind of ending. But I found the way things worked out business-wise was a little different from the norm.

Johanna Garcia Swisher was charming and beautiful. She had great chemistry with Allen Leech once he stopped mistreating her. Watching their characters get to know each other was one of the highpoints of the movie, but still second to the amazing scenery. It made me sad that I missed a chance to go there a few years ago.

First of all Toooooommmmmm!!! If you were a Downton fan then you will be as pleasantly shook as I was at the male lead in this one.

To the review now. It. Was. So. Beautiful. There was depth my friends, there was depth. It wasn't super fluffy and copy and paste like it usually goes with Hallmark romances. There was a story, there was great acting accompanying that story and there were Hollywood meets BBC-y romance vibes in a good heart tugging way. If you are a seasoned Hallmark movie watcher then you have to see this one-in-a-million release and be pleasantly surprised at how it stands out beautifully from the rest. I don't know who penned and directed this, but I want to give them a hug and beg them to do all future Hallmark movies. Never knew Hallmark could! Apparently they can!! Give us more!!!!

This is a beautiful movie, and deserves sequels! Like other Hallmark movies filmed in Rome, Paris and Africa, location authenticity raises the bar. There is beautiful scenery, quaint locales, pub music, brogue, and whiskey. Sláinte!

"Luck" isn't your typical Hallmark movie, but in the best of ways. It has a "Leap Year" (2010) charm. 'Lindsay' favors Amy Adams, and 'Brennan' has Matthew Goode's wry humor and touch of melancholy.

Hallmark truly redeemed itself from what my disappointment in "Forever in My Heart" (2019). Ok, "Luck" has another hotel development project intersecting local Ireland, but it shows us more of Ireland, including the majestic Cliffs of Moher. JoAnna Swisher is utterly charming. Allen Leach is a native Irishman, and his accent and use of the old Irish language are second nature, not coached.