Paging Mr. Darcy

Call me a grump on this review. If you look at most of my reviews, I'm very generous in my ratings. For many 5.5-star rated movies of this type, I have given 8 or 9 stars. I love Will Kemp, but this movie didn't do him justice. At the movie's beginning, the characters talk about learning ballroom dancing. I expected that the talented Mr. Kemp would show off his dancing skills. Not so! A few little hops and turns were the only dancing that occurred. The sister of Eloise Cavendish was highly annoying, over-the-top, selfish, and immature. As for romance, I just wasn't feeling it. The movie ended so abruptly that I thought a commercial was coming up, and there would be more to the story. Truthfully, I wanted to love this movie, but I wouldn't watch it again. Just a note: Benjamin Ayers was also in the movie but appeared on a golf cart for five seconds and drove away.

I liked some things about this Hallmark romance. It was fairly original, at least by Hallmark standards. No girl returning to a small town. No reconnecting with an old boyfriend. No struggling business that needed saving. None of the tired Hallmark tropes. The movie simultaneously pays homage to the culture surrounding Jane Austen's books, while also poking a little lighthearted fun at it, which I enjoyed. I liked Will Kemp as Sam, our Mr. Darcy cosplayer. He was charming and engaging and did the often self-deprecating humor quite well.

That being said, I can't say I found our heroine Eloise that likeable. She was way too tightly wound, pretty rude and also rather scheming and mercenary when it came to vying for that coveted professorship at Princeton. To be fair, Mallory Jensen did a good job of portraying this character as written. And her unlikeable exterior personality was clearly supposed to be a front to hide her deep-seated, underlying insecurities. Somehow, though, those initial unlikeable qualities were way too exaggerated for me to really warm up to her later in the movie. Her sister Mia was even worse. She was over-the-top annoying, and Lillian Doucet-Roche just overacted her.

There were some good interactions between Sam and Eloise, but I wouldn't say the chemistry was sizzling. The two almost kisses were just awkward, not romantic. There was a little bit of good banter between the two of them, but not nearly enough. In short, the romance between the two of them wasn't as good as it could or should have been.

So, this Hallmark romance, which had a premise with so much promise, just ended up being okay, not outstanding. I mostly blame the screenwriters, who were most likely under the gun to produce yet another movie in the Hallmark assembly line and didn't have enough time to do it really well.

This is your usual Hallmark fare, with downgraded food intended as a humorous, but poorly conceived, plot point, inadequate and inconsistent costume work for an Austen conference, and little to no research as to the type of women or vendors that might actually be at such an event invested, prior to the writing phase of the script. Some Austen quotes and character references are peppered throughout, for good measure, but the characters are as one-note and predictable as those of any Hallmark show, and not worthy of a Jane Austen tribute. There were a few redeeming moments: the field trip to the exhibit of Austen correspondence and the preparation of somewhat accurate period piece deserts (which could/should have been brought in on silver platters to cooing of the attendees, but NO) by the leads, but there was no need to devolve all the way to off-brand-Subway deli meats for an elegant garden party just for humor - when trays like that could have easily been arranged at Whole Foods or any local gourmet market. It didn't add humor - it just emphasized the lack of class and substance in the film production itself.

I'm still planning to watch the other Jane Austen movies this month, and I really, genuinely hope they hired a real film writer for at least one of them - I'm a big Austen fan and it would be such a shame if all the films are this much of a missed opportunity. Alternately, if the budget doesn't allow for "Hollywood" writers, hire an Indie writer - someone up and coming, but out of work, just like they do with actors, and tell the writer the script does NOT need to fit the Hallmark tropes, formula and mold to a T. My advice to Hallmark, for any future female author tribute: show RESPECT, ala Aretha Franklin, and put a little more legwork into the script by also hiring outside costumers, outside hair stylists, caterers. Make a bit of an effort. They know how - some Hallmark productions are better than the formula; Hallmark: we can see how your films are all the same and we welcome a bit of creativity. Put in some effort instead of churning them out, particularly when it doth seem of great import to your guests.

Now THIS is the true Hallmark that I have always loved and am so desperately trying to find again. The acting felt natural and not forced. The comedy was so real and cute, I lol'd. The build of the relationship and banter was so endearing- it felt like I was watching a true love happening before my eyes! Love, love, love this. It warmed my heart to watch. I have moved away from Hallmark because they have seemed so forced and worried about being "woke". The couples tend to not feel real but this one has brought me back! So happy I found this on frindly tv. The romantic gestures were heart warming and believable! Enjoyed the sisters growth and the couples! Great job Hallmark. For all hopeful romantics and Jane Austen fans. Glorious to behold!

This movie is borderline for me. I think that is mostly because of Will Kemp and Mallory Jansen. They had decent chemistry and watching them together was about the only good thing in the movie. Lillian Doucet-Roche was only irritating as Mia.

The movie is filled with cliches like all the women going gaga at Sam. But also many of the usual formula tropes. Seriously? Eloise could suddenly cook just so the writer could put her and Sam together. Another common trope is one of the leads helping the other overcome her neurosis.

Acting was mixed with some of the supporting cast being questionable. There was some decent dialogue.