Stranded in Paradise

HR executive Tess Nelson (Vanessa Marcil) is blindsided when she gets downsized by the son of her former boss who has taken over. As her final act, she takes the company-paid trip to a business conference in Puerto Rico in order to drum up employment opportunities. She does meet fellow traveler Carter McConnell (James Denton). Both are missing their luggage and staying at the same hotel. The job search goes badly and a hurricane is bearing down on the island.

At least, this has some colors of Puerto Rico. I had feared that the movie would only take place in that dull hotel. It's always great to see waves lapping on a sunny beach. The couple is fine for this type of movies. The story isn't much. The romance is fine but there are no hurdles to overcome. There is no drama. It's a vacation from thinking.

6.4 stars.

There is little to say about this film that hasn't been stated in every other romance of its kind. Two people meet on a plane to Puerto Rico, the man is from USA the woman is from USA, the man is a vagabond, the woman is a corporate pawn with no spontaneity. The formula for "Stranded in Paradise" seems to fit within the general era from whence it spawned, which in this case is 2014. Back then Hallmark was still morphing their blueprint. 2014 seems like yesterday for a guy my age, but is a lifetime for someone in their 30's or younger. Hallmark films were more reckless in their presentation back then, making all sorts of gaffs and really obvious mistakes in the productions. The story itself is mundane, and the theme is not communicated effectively, which is probably meant to be something like: find your purpose in life, nobody can find it for you. The romance is virtually absent until the last minute where we are ensconced in a veritable passion fiesta. Too little, too late.

'Stranded in Paradise' (2014)

Opening thoughts: Was very mixed on 'Stranded in Paradise'. It is not an awful film and has a number of good things, but it also has a number of big flaws that made it very hard for me to properly connect with it. As far as the 2014 Hallmark films go (which as said has been very variable, which has been true of all the succeeding years too), it is one of the middling ones and when it comes to either extremes of relatable and moving and too sentimental, melodramatic or unrealistic both extremes can be seen here.

Good things: Am going to begin with the good things. Actually thought that the acting was well above average, with both Vanessa Marcil and James Denton giving very natural committed performances. Denton, as the far more likeable characters, is subtly charismatic, sympathetic and easy going, and while her character is frustrating Marcil is very heartfelt. Their chemistry is low key but didn't seem stiff or ring false. The supporting cast are more than competent.

Puerto Rico itself is the star here, it looks absolutely stunning and is complemented beautifully by the photography. There are cute, movingly sincere and subtly amusing moments here and there.

Bad things: However, there are things that don't work. Marcil's character is truly frustrating, too erratic, whiny and constantly makes idiotic decisions that make no sense. This is especially apparent with the too unrealistically neat ending, where the final decision felt too sudden and went against what was shown before. The characters are too underdeveloped to make one connect properly with them. The direction is undistinguished and while the music isn't unpleasant it is repetitive.

Did find the script unnatural sounding and overdone on the corn and sentimentality. The story can be very dully paced and soapy and the idiotic decision making and numerous continuity errors make it unrealistic at times too. Despite Puerto Rico looking stunning, the film doesn't do a good job representing it elsewhere and it feels very inauthentic and it could have been set anywhere-like.

Concluding thoughts: Concluding, watchable but didn't come together.

5/10.

My husband and I watched this last night as it seemed a harmless bit of fluff and there was nothing else on. Ended up really enjoying it...not for the movie itself, which is barely average, but because once we started noticing the continuity errors (such as setting off for a destination in the middle of the night and arriving in broad daylight...We are talking Puerto Rico here!)we spent the rest of the movie cracking up over them. Especially during the "hurricane" segment where they were boarding up windows in preparation, but sitting next to a window with open shutters during the height of the storm. The more you start looking, the more things are just all sorts of wrong, to the point that that alone is worth the watch.

Also, the hotel manager was an almost perfect amalgam of Basil Fawlty and the waiter Manuel, which had to be purposeful casting.

Uptight HR executive looses her job when they "restructure", Tess. Thinking that she could network and potentially get a new job she attends a convention in Puerto Rico. On her trip everything that could go wrong does. First she looses her phone, then her shoes, then her luggage, then her hope of getting a new job, and then a hurricane comes.

She ends up seeking shelter from the hurricane with Stella, a woman she met walking a cat on a leash. Stela has a great back story. She is a widow who had a brief touch with Hollywood.

Both Stella and Carter, a gentleman she meets on the plane, seemed to be doing their best to help Tess loosen up and live a little.

Once she looses the suit...

"Don't live someone else's dream. You have to find your own."-Carter

"Ask yourself are you happy? And if you aren't, is there something you could do to make you happy?"-Carter.

"You're too sweet to be a vagabond forever."-Stella.

Beautiful island, gorgeous Vanessa Marcel, and James Denton...this was a sweet romantic film about pursuing something that will make you happy instead of pleasing others.