Quand la magie opère

Firstly, this is a low, low budget, made for cable movie. Take a Halloween romantic comedy that lacks comedy and dip it in cheese sauce and you've just about got it. The premise is Halloween silly, but it could have been worse. The script is weak, the acting is also weak. The cinematography is sub par, the lightning is amateur and the set design is cheap. Even the music sound track sounds cheap, it's like they wanted it to be Disney cute. That being said, on the good side, there is no gratuitous sex, nudity, violence, no explicit language. You can watch it with kids or your grandma. What is odd, is for a movie that is about magic, warlocks and witches, there is very little magic.

There are very few Halloween-related romcoms, which is a bit of a surprise. But any future efforts should look at this one regarding how it can be done.

Everything about this film exceeded my expectations: the acting, script, romantic chemistry, set design, and overall vibe. While not really "laugh out loud" funny, it was amusing and did get a chuckle or two out of me.

The acting was really solid. The romance was fairly deep in a way you typically don't see in these films.

It's also a really fun film. The magic aspect really gives the actors and script a lot to work with, and they delivered.

I'm knocking it a couple of stars for two reasons: 1) a little too much suspension of disbelief where it was avoidable and 2) some dialogue felt a bit drawn out (especially in the second half).

But overall I strongly recommend this underrated gem.

Great Halloween movie. Nikki Deloach is excellant and adorable! Wonderful story and well written. This is family friendly.

The supporting cast was also very good.

This romantic comedy with a magical witch theme manages to rise above the typical witch movie in a light but more subtle, naturalistic way. Unlike Bewitched (2005) or Practical Magic (1998), this more recent entertaining witch movie avoids direct comparisons and plot design to eke out its own less dramatic theatrical devices by incorporating a more pleasant realistic display of using magic. While not as powerful or emotionally compelling as its predecessors, A Kind of Magic has its own original magic deserving of an enjoyable romantic evening.

There is actual magic at the center of this story. The situations that occur around a novice suddenly getting magic and a lifetime warlock starting to lose his set up good humor and good dialogue.

There is also obviously a romance mixed in, but the movie is a bit different for a rom/com because the two romantic leads don't actually get to spend a lot of time together on screen.

Nikki Deloach is the Hallmark actor I have the most respect for. (I'm pretty sure this is before she became a Hallmark regular since this is Mar Vista.) I think she has shown better acting talent in some of the more serious stories for Hallmark, but she does a credible job here. She has good chemistry with Ryan McPartlin despite not sharing a lot of screen time. Most of the actors are good for what is needed in their roles.

The story is pretty simple and there are no great highs or lows or surprises, but it is still enjoyable. The tone is mostly upbeat and most of the characters are quite likeable. Even the romantic rival is likeable. Still, I doubt the movie will knock your socks off, but I enjoyed it and will likely watch it again.