Love of the Irish

"Love of the Irish" delivers a sweet, predictable romance that fans of Hallmark-style movies will appreciate. Set in the stunning Irish countryside, the story explores themes of love and family, with emotional highlights like a touching birth mother reunion and a dance studio discovery. Moira Kelly offers nostalgic charm, and Shenae Grimes-Beech is a solid lead, though the overall cast and dialogue are unremarkable. The beautiful County Cork setting and small-town world add visual appeal and authenticity. While engaging and satisfying, the movie lacks originality, sticking to a formulaic script. It's enjoyable for a casual watch but unlikely to leave a lasting impression beyond its heartwarming moments.

This movie has a lot of the formula stuff in it, but they seem to have a little different flavor to them. Fiona gets an audition rejection and Helen's shop is flooded, so it's time to go search for their roots. The obstacle to the romance and the climax both fit the mold of so many other rom/coms, but with a slight twist after the die is cast.

The way the issue of the birth-mom was handled seemed a little strange. The mom found Helen and wrote her a letter. I don't recall any discussion of how Helen was raised or ended up in America. Still, this part of the story is the hook for the movie.

Fiona considers herself about as unlucky as can be and evidence seems to support that (except for darts). Making part of the story about Fiona actually chasing luck is an unusual story angle. There is almost a mystical quality to this part of the story.

The epilogue ends abruptly. It sure seems like something more was intended.

Plot (25%) The plot is engaging, with heartwarming and refreshing storylines. Score: 25% Characters (20%) The characters are heartwarming and nice, but the repeated use of "bestie" felt cringey for adult women. Score: 18% Direction (15%) The pacing was well-done, but the tone felt overly gloomy at times. Score: 12% Visuals (15%) The visuals are stunning, proving live-action can deliver impressive imagery. Score: 15% Music (10%) The song "Eye of the Irish" felt unnecessary and out of place. Score: 5% Theme (10%) The theme of luck is intriguing, and Fiona's change of fortune was satisfying. Score: 7% Entertainment Value (5%) Surprisingly more entertaining than expected. Score: 4% Overall: 86% Better than expected, a strong start to 2025's romance movie lineup.

Another strong on-location production from Hallmark. The movies shot somewhere exotic rather than in a Canadian city filling in are always much more atmospheric.

The Irish countryside is arguably as big a star as Shenae Grimes-Beech, Stephen Hagan and "The West Wing" alum Moira Kelly are. It's stunning, and the overhead shots of rolling hills, ancient ruins and rugged cliffs, especially, show it off perfectly. Makes you want to visit the Emerald Isle.

The story? Well, formulaic as these Hallmark movies often are, but also pleasant. There's the main love story and a secondary one, which is where Moira Kelly's character comes into things.

Come for the Irish scenery and culture, stay for the charming romance.

Anyone with half a brain could figure out where the story was going to go about a quarter of the way through the movie. As a Hallmark movie, there are tropes that need to be followed. Most important - no kiss until the last moment before "roll credits!" Well, this movie violated that rule not once, but TWICE! (There are no epilogues in a Hallmark movie - stop that!)

The story did have its moments, and I will always tear up at a reunion of long-separated family members or a moving goodbye scene. So Hallmark still did a good job of tugging at heartstrings. But I have to complain about the IMDb listing - only the three primary actors listed? Is that because the woman playing the grandmother looked younger than the woman who was supposed to be her daughter? I do hope that is fixed once the movie has been released on all platforms...

There were major plot holes and continuity issues that disrupted the viewing experience for me. (What happened to the tulips? Why didn't the women buy a beverage in the pub? Why did repairing the garden table transform it into something so ugly when they were both supposed to be historic heirloom preservers? I HAVE QUESTIONS!!!)

Props to the main characters for actually looking like you cared about each other. That's rare in a Hallmark movie.