Coup de foudre à Paris

I appreciate that parts were actually filmed in Paris! Jocelyn Hudon definitely seemed older than her character was supposed to be (which is pretty common in reality of the movie business but not always so obviously noticeable).

My wife and I watched this movie at home on DVD from our public library. It is a thoroughly enjoyable romantic movie, in fact with three different romances, young, middle age, and old folks.

It is a Hallmark movie, no drugs, no sex, no bad language, just wholesome characters looking for meaningful relationships.

I became a Rebecca Romijn fan when I saw the original X-Men (2000) movie, she was Mystique, the character in the blue body paint. Here she is Lindsey Wilson, formerly a budding artist trained in Paris but now 20 years later owner of a successful art magazine.

Of course Jerry O'Connell has been a favorite since his days as one of the young boys in "Stand By Me". Here he is Jack Burrow, an American who stayed in Paris and now is owner and operator of a hotel.

As the movie begins we see Lindsey and Jack 20 years earlier, young lovers in Paris, and there is an incident on the bridge where lovers place their locks, and that is the reference in the title "Love Locks." Then 20 years later Lindsey has an occasion to return to Paris, her teen daughter is starting art school, and the old friend arranges that they stay at Jack's hotel.

So that is where the movie starts going, to see if Lindsey and Jack can see that their lives would be better with each other. Meanwhile Lindsey's daughter falls for a young Frenchman who is studying mathematics, and Lindsey's old art teacher falls for a woman who spends lots of time at Jack's hotel.

The several stories meld together well and all reach satisfying conclusions in just over 90 minutes. And of course beautiful Paris. We enjoyed this movie very much.

The daughter character is named Alexa. When I watch this movie, romaine lettuce is delivered to my house the next day. Weird!

Hallmark may be very inconsistent in all their season blocks every year (their Christmas films particularly), but there are films of theirs that are surprisingly well above average and more in every season block and every year. Their 2017 output did have misfires throughout the year ('At Home in Mitford'), but also films that impressed me ('The Birthday Wish'). Was intrigued by 'Love Locks' due to the cast and because it was one of the Hallmark Hall of Fame films.

'Love Locks' may not have quite wowed me, but it is not undeserving of being a Hallmark Hall of Fame film and is a very promising and very good way to start, or at least lead into, the 2017 Hallmark Valentine films period. Is it a great film? Not quite. Is it worth watching and has a lot of good things? Yes, and as far as Hallmark's 2017 output that had been aired already goes it's one of the better ones and among their better ones overall that year.

There is very little to criticise here. It is formulaic and doesn't have many surprises, almost everything is obvious well before it happens (and it is not just the neatly wrapped up ending) and did think that Bruce Davison seemed out of place and didn't fit his role.

On the other hand, 'Love Locks' is a beautiful looking film and one of the best looking 2017 Hallmark films. Especially the Parisian scenery, which is nothing short of magnificent. One has to be an amateur to find some way somehow of making Paris look visually ugly, and luckily that doesn't happen here. Photography is very loving towards it. The music is not overbearing or overused, while still having personality and variety.

While not a script that will win awards, the script is light-hearted and witty, clearly knowing what it was trying to be and clearly understood the genre the film fits under. Doing so without trying to throw in too much tonally or adding anything unnecessary. The story is not original, but is full of charm and never takes itself too seriously, while also treating the subject with maturity. The pace never felt dull while not being rushed.

Also felt that the characters weren't too stereotypical and were more than just typical Hallmark cliches that is seen too often with Hallmark. Also cared for them, with them being true to life with personality traits that appealed with situations worth relating to. Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell are very appealing in their roles, with a nice light hearted energy and also heart. Their chemistry really charms.

In conclusion, liked it very much on the whole. 7/10.

This second chance romance between Jack and Lindsey reunites real life couple Jerry O'Connell and Rebecca Romijn. Lindsey and Jack were college lovers who parted in Paris to meet at the Empire State Building like the classic films Love Affair and An Affair to remember.

Fast forward 20 years and Lindsey is a divorcé with a college age daughter of her own and is off to Paris where she is being courted by a publishing big wig who wants to buy her magazine.

While running around Paris with her daughter, Lindsey runs into Jack at a bar in which he owns the establishment.

Rebecca is gorgeous and Jerry is his usual funny and charming self...it works in these sweet little Parisian romance.