Dernier jour d'été

2015 did see some good Hallmark films, as well as some bad ones and plenty in between. Had a good feeling that 'Hello It's Me' would work, with it having one of the most appealing and relatable-sounding premises of 2015's Hallmark batch and have always admired it when Hallmark tackle mature themes regardless of the execution. Have seen Kellie Martin and Kavan Smith in other things, and while Martin is a bit take and leave Smith have near consistently impressed me in spite of being in some misfires.

'Hello It's Me' on the whole turned out quite well. 2015 did see some good Hallmark Movies and Mysteries films and 'Hello It's Me' is one of them. While not one of the best 2015 Hallmark films overall, it is certainly closer to that extreme than the worst in my view. There is also a lot to like in 'A Gift of Miracles' and it does a nice job with its premise and relatable family themes, it started off a little uncertain but grew significantly when the characters and relationships did.

Not everything succeeds. It is a bit of a slow starter, with less than tight pacing and dialogue that goes a bit too far too far on the maudlin. It took me a bit of time to warm to Martin's character, who even for the situation seemed too mopey and stuck in the past which took somewhat too long to shake off.

Smith's character is a little too clueless towards the end.

A lot is good here though. The latter stages did see me connect more with Martin's character and understanding her point of view and Martin does give a very heartfelt performance that is one of her most natural, no signs of phoning in or being too affected. Smith is very subtle and sympathetic and they have a lovely gentle and always genuine chemistry that develops realistically. The younger cast also do well, especially the daughter in the second half. Very touching chemistry with Smith later on. The situation is a true to life and relatable one and once the film got going it did do well at allowing one to connect to the characters after an uncertain start.

Furthermore, it t is beautifully filmed and the scenery is stunning to look at. The music is not intrusive, and didn't feel too melodramatically loud, repetitive or too constant (all of which being common with Hallmark's music), actually found it very sensitive. The direction lets the drama breathe while not allowing it to drag. The script is sincere and mature without being too melodramatic or too serious, while not sugar coating. The same goes for the gentle, charming and moving story, which is not always as fleshed out as it could have been but the good intentions and sincerity were to be admired all the way through as was the relatability of the themes.

Overall, well executed, honest and touching. 7/10.

Annie (Kellie Martin) lives on Long Island with her two children, Ella and Milo. A widow, her husband Andre died in a boating accident two years ago. To say the least, its been hard moving forward and Annie has never erased the last phone video recording of Andre, the one where he says this is the happiest day of his life. A fine cook and baker, Annie has been working as a caterer out of her home, even though she longs to open a bake shop. One day, on her way to a work engagement, Annie is in a collision with another driver, James (Kavan Smith). As its totally James fault, Annie is miffed, especially when the baked goods are damaged. Very wealthy, James offers to pay for everything but Annie cuts him off. Later, she discovers that while she catered the party, James had her car repaired. Wow, how nice is this! For his part, James is an extremely successful businessman who inherited a lucrative firm and who hobnobs with the elite. His mother is very snooty but always trying to fix up her bachelor son with the "best socially prominent gals." Yet, James sees something in Annie he feels he is missing so the two grow slowly closer. Ella, the older child, is not really happy. More importantly, in a most startling fashion, Annie begins to receive phone messages from Andre, worked into the video that she has saved. Could her deceased husband really be watching over her, trying to tell her important advice? Yet, each time it happens, Annie steps back from her budding romance with James. What to do? This lovely romantic drama will have some in tears, its so touching. The paranormal angle is beautifully conceived. Martin and Smith make a great couple while all of the other cast members are nice as well. Then, the LI setting, right on the coast, is very beautiful, making one wish for a beach home there as soon as possible. In short, what would fans of romance do WITHOUT HALLMARK? Thank Providence that this network continues, week after week, to rain down blessings on its loyal subjects.

I knew from the beginning I was going to like this movie. The two leads Kellie Martin and Kavan Smith were great, their chemistry was perfect. I've always been a fan of Kavan and am now a fan of Kellie.

Great movie.

This was pretty good. Decent acting from Kellie Martin and Kavan Smith especially for one of these Made for TV movies. The plot is ultra predictable but helped along by a supernatural element and some beautiful scenery from Ontario lake cottage country.

The story follows Annie and her two children a couple years after the sudden death of her husband. Annie has started a catering company and meets a wealthy guy who is immediately smitten with her. Annie is hesitant however to let her heart go until she begins to receive encouraging phone calls from her late husband. Some very nice scenes towards the end with the daughter and James

This is a very enjoyable and engaging movie. The element of fantasy/supernatural is not often seen in a Hallmark movie. It is refreshing to see a family oriented movie with actors portraying real emotions of love, loss and finding happiness. The child actors are excellent, and the relationship between the two main adult characters is mature and believable. I find that in many Hallmark movies, the actors play their roles as over the top caricatures or the chemistry is absent and that is not the case in Hello It;s Me. I have seen this movie three or four times and I never tire of it. I highly recommend this movie!