Something's Brewing

The first half of the movie felt super thin in terms of plot. Basically the first 40 minutes (and really most of the film overall) felt like a really long and boring series of first dates between two people.

After the initial plot points of her losing her job and boyfriend...nothing much happened for way too long. We spent way too much time with the leads getting to know one another.

In addition to a thin plot...the film also lacked any real humor and those other X factors which make these movies fun. It was really just boring.

The acting was decent but not great. But really...my biggest criticism is that this film was not entertaining.

My wife and I were looking for something to watch after dinner and found this one streaming on Amazon Prime. It is a very simple story involving coffee baristas and mistaken encounters. Not significantly different from dozens of similar movies churned out each season.

The biggest issue both of us had is the actors are NOT very good, they deliver their lines but never seem believable. Kristi Murdock plays Jane and Jason Cook plays David. He has a coffee shop business and she has consulting experience. At first she is going to take the job a competitor offered, until she found out its business tactics were a bit shady.

So it plays out like countless other, similar clean rom-com movies, it just isn't that good. I suppose fans of either or both actors would enjoy it more. On a 1 to 10 rating scale the "middle" rating is 5.5, so this one is more like a 4.

I feel silly having to even bring this up. But in the interest of science and the embarrassment of the reviewer who said it was a zit, here I go. In case you haven't seen this movie, don't be dissuaded by the giant zit review. It's NOT a zit, it's a mole, nothing more. I didn't even notice it until I read that review.

Back to the movie. It's a cute movie. Totally a romantic romp that is set in the big city. It's fun, romantic, and just what you would expect from Up TV. The acting is spot on and the characters are as believable as can be. Enjoy it for what it is.

I really enjoyed it. Kristi Murdoch is pretty and talented. Jason Cook is very believable as her love interest, also very talented.

This one is a bit of a diamond in the rough. Good story line and a decent cast. Absolutely loved seeing Jason Cook here, remember him from Days of Our Lives - and, yes, he's aged well. Great smile. It's my first encounter with Kristi Murdock - lovely girl and she did a nice job. Her friend did a good job supporting and the daughter was cute and her role well done. Overall, a pleasant experience and, my most important barometer, I'd watch it again.

It did have shortfalls, of course, being low budget, etc. The sound quality was poor at times - the "background " music drowned out the voices several times. The styling was pretty bad for most of the movie, very uncomplimentary clothing for female lead - was there a sale on mustard colored tops? Most of the shoes looked like they were from a rummage sale.

The pacing was very slow. But. It's a made for tv romcom, so we give it some leeway, right? When I'm in a mellow mood and just want to be entertained, I'll enjoy seeing this again.

5.4 stars.

Some B movies, I enjoy, this one doesn't cut it. I recognize the lead male, I remember watching him for several years on 'Days of Our Lives'. He can't hide behind the beard, he's too noticeable, but he's definitely aged well. What's wrong with this movie? That question is more difficult to answer than what's right with it. Cinematography and editing is decent. The dialogue, acting, sound, and music are horrific. Even the wardrobe was poor. The clothes were unflattering for her. The voices sound muffled, and have a slight echo, which completely ruins the experience for me. Yes, I noticed the "zit" that people are mentioning, however, I can't imagine that this person would have a zit lasting several days during filming. It's probably a permanent blemish that she was unable to have removed at that time. Anyways, I stopped the movie less than halfway in, and deleted from the DVR. Onto the next.