Paging Mr. Darcy

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.

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!

I think you HAVE TO be a Jane Austen fan to like this movie, which I am not, so my review may be a bit skewed....

This is the story of an overly serious Professor, Eloise, who loves Jane Austen and attends an annual Jane Austen Conference. She is the the guest speaker in the hopes of impressing Dr. Victoria Jennings and being awarded a position at Princeton. Although Eloise loves and appreciates Jane Austen's novels, she's not into all the hoopla and dressing up in period costumes and superfluous activities. She is annoyed by Dr. Jennings nephew, Sam Lee, who is dressed up in costume as Mr. Darcy and has been assigned as her personal concierge. As in any predictable Hallmark movie, the witty banter between Eloise and Sam changes her feelings for Sam in what looks like is the beginning of a budding romance. There's also drama as Eloise's sister Mia, who just broke up with her boyfriend, joins her at the conference and creates a bit of havoc. There's also the usual "conflict".

Now I will say Mallory Jansen was excellent as Eloise Cavendish and Will Kemp was decent as Sam Lee, but Lillian Doucet-Roche as Mia Cavandish badly overacted and was downright ANNOYING!!! I found the movie dull and slow moving. I felt the story needed a bit more romance rather than the sister scenes. Just a HO HUM movie for non Jane Austen fans!

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.

Eloise Cavendish (Mallory Jansen) is a Jane Austen expert and a really big fan. Only she's not a romantic and doesn't see Austen as a romance novelist. She is doing a speech at a Jane Austen conference in order to please organizer Dr. Victoria Jennings (Carolyn Scott) to get a Princeton professorship. Sam Lee (Will Kemp) is playing Mr. Darcy for the conference and is Victoria's nephew. Mia Cavendish (Lillian Doucet-Roche) is Eloise's heart-broken little sister.

At first, I thought they might use the plane passenger to form a love triangle. At last, a triangle is too complicated as a shape for Hallmark. I do like the chemistry and the characters. It's not high drama and Mia is not changing that in the slightest. It's low intensity sweetness. It's perfectly fine for Hallmark.