Mariage et chocolats

I was not familiar with any of the actors or actresses so had no expectations on them beyond wanting a couple hours of resting my mind and body and watching a G rated rom/com.

Other than the lighting making the female lead looking washed out half the time, this story followed a fairly predictable course but was fun. The lead female character definitely had some emotional issues to work through, lol, but the formula works...nice movie if you just need to slip into neutral and just play along with the plot...

This was listed under "most popular" on Hallmark. Now, I don't need much excitement, I just need a storyline that makes sense and I need the characters to do things that make sense. I thought it was funny, the other reviewer said she or he could not make it to the end of the movie because I couldn't either. It was excruciating. I find some good things on Hallmark. I watch it because it's refreshing. I don't want to see violence or cursing so I like Hallmark movies. But, some of these movies....I don't know what they're thinking. It's like these directors get together and they're bored and they're like, hey who wants to make a movie today? Let's get some of our regular actors together and blow some money. 🤔

Expectations were not massively high. 2018 did see some good Hallmark films, but your expectations are dampened a bit if you are not a fan of some of the actors. Jessica Lowndes usually does not do much for me and Jen Lilley is wildly inconsistent dependent on her character. Have generally found Marc Rosner quite amiable though, so expectations were not completely low. Hallmark have done quite a number of decent and more films before and since, so there was hope.

'Yes I Do' didn't deliver sadly. Am not a fan of too many of the June Weddings films from Hallmark (with a small group of exceptions, as generally they tend to be more of the same plot wise and with very similar strengths and flaws), and 'Yes I Do' does nothing to change my mind. Hallmark did do a lot worse certainly, before and since, there have certainly been worse June Weddings films (in all the years that that that block has been occurring) but they also did a lot better on both counts.

The best thing about 'Yes I Do' is the easy going and charming performance of Rosner.

Also thought that the production values were good, with the scenery being particularly beautiful.

Having said all of that, 'Yes I Do' had a lot wrong in my view. Lilley is ill at ease and tries too hard, and also found her character too self absorbed and manipulative. Have seen a few good performances from Lowndes but also a lot of bad ones, and this is one of the one note wooden ones that is for me seen a lot from her. Didn't care for any of the characters, other than Rosner's to begin with but later on he began to dull and frustrate.

For me, the romantic chemistry was very underdeveloped and bland, nothing looking natural or genuine. The script is very stilted, especially Lilley's with so many incomplete sounding sentences that come over as gobbledegook. The story is very predictable, has very little charm, heart or lightness, is very forced in conflict and dragged out. Did find it too easily resolved and there is nothing distinctive about the direction. The music is also far too loud and constant.

In conclusion, weak. 3/10.

This was not one of Hallmark's finest. The movie begins with her leaving him at the altar twice and then she basically calls off the third and he's still head over heels with her... man, leave this woman already! Jessica Lowndes is the only redeemable part of this film because she plays the villain so well. I haven't finished it yet (though I'm sure we all know how it will end) but honestly both women are so manipulative that all I find myself rooting for is this guy to leave them both and start over elsewhere.

Wedding-phobic Charlotte Bennett (Jen Lilley) does the runaway bride thing twice. She gains some success as a chocolatier. Her groom-to-be James Cooper gives up on another attempt and cancels their upcoming wedding. She decides to secretly organize it herself. She has an interview with an important chocolate magazine's Nicole Sweeney (Jessica Lowndes) who is selecting America's top chocolatier. It turns out that Nicole is James' the-one-who-got-away.

Why not just elope? Just go to city hall. The premise of this Hallmark romance is a little light. It could still work. I don't think the lead has the comedic chops to pull this off although she's nice enough. Lowndes' looks is a little shocking. She seems to have done one too many surgeries. It's probably the movie's intention to make her look high maintenance to take on the villain role. I can see this being reworked to be a much better rom-com. As it stands, it's an average Hallmark at best.