A Dash of Love

I initially tuned in to watch the movie without much hope it would be anything more than the usual Valentine's Day drivel. I was pleasantly surprised, especially by the very solid performance by Jen Lilley. This was her best performance to date, in my opinion. Other performances by other actors was acceptable but nothing outstanding. Nevertheless, I found the movie quite pleasing and fun to watch.

The story line is pretty ordinary and Brendan Penny, who has the male lead, is nothing special but Jen Lilley is both charming and delightful, making this movie a worthwhile watch.

OK, maybe I intended to make a pun and it backfire. What do I have to say? I LOVED this movie. I expected this to be a classic Hallmark movie that I enjoy for half and hour, and maybe pause three or four times to check twitter, but let me tell your something: I didn't paused it, not even once! And that's when I know it's going into my Hallmark's favorite movies list.

First of all. The plot was good. The acting was good, even the secondary characters were good. I swear 30 minutes into the movie and I was smiling life a fool.

Brendan Penny - and here I thought he had chemistry with Rachel Leigh Cook - may be one of my favorite Hallmark guys (along with Andrew W.Walker) and even though I enjoyed what he has done, he had me here smiling like an idiot. I saw Jen Lilley in "The spirit of Christmas" just yesterday and she did a good job, but in this movie, she was great, she played the adorable girl who is trying to get her dream come true. The most important thing is that...

What had me smiling for an hour straight is the chemistry between the two leads, OH MY GOD, I'm still smiling while I write this. I really hope they get to make another movie together. I'll be the first in line to watch it.

Despite the setting being a very familiar one, the premise did sound very cute. Jen Lilley is a bit hit and miss for me, but she is good in the right roles. Brendan Penny is more consistent, his subtle charisma and easy going charm obvious in most of his roles apart from when his material is weak or/and has bad leading ladies. Have always liked Peri Gilpin and love her on 'Frasier', an all time favourite of mine. Hallmark's Countdown to Valentine's Day output is very up and down, but there are some good ones out there.

'A Dash of Love' thankfully is one of them. A very worthwhile and charming watch and one of the better Countdown to Valentine's Day films from the year, even though not great with a few of the flaws often found in Hallmark films. It does show that Lilley can be good with the right material and it doesn't do anything to disgrace or waste Penny and Gilpin. As far as 2016's Hallmark output goes, 'A Dash of Love' is neither one of the best or worst and is instead around solid middle.

It isn't perfect. It could have done with more freshness, really liked what was done with the setting but the basic story is pretty formulaic and there is not much surprising.

The biggest problem, and the only massively major one that sadly dragged the film down significantly, was the truly ridiculous, rushed and contrived last 30 minutes that is capped off by an ending that is too convenient and unrealistically so.

However, a lot is good. The best thing about it is Lilley, who is a radiantly charming presence and works very hard in making the film without trying too hard. Her character is a flawed one but not overly flawed. Penny brings subtle charisma and easy going charm to his role, one that is not much different from most of his roles but it is a type of role he plays well. Gilpin gives a zesty supporting turn in a role very different from Roz. The characters are cliched but are engaging and easy to connect with, until the last act. The romantic chemistry is understated but always natural and genuine.

The direction is not innovative, but 'A Dash of Love' is one of those films that doesn't require that. It still shows a nice understanding and control of the material and the character interaction doesn't come over as static.

Production values are well crafted and never look cheap, the scenery is especially nice. Hallmark tend to over-score their films, the music here fits nicely and doesn't come over as constant or too loud. Certainly not to the extent where you can't hear the dialogue. The dialogue here is suitably light-hearted and playful, while also having the right amount of seriousness without being melodramatic. The story makes great use of the setting, which has great nostalgic value, and while unoriginal and formulaic it is also lively and has a light and warm heart.

Overall, pretty good. 7/10.

I really enjoyed this. First? Brendan Penny is my favorite Hallmark leading man and Jen L is always adorable (this time more than most though I couldn't stop just staring at those big eyes and not in a good way). It wasn't overly cheesy, it wasn't overly acted, I really liked it. I like that the conflict at the end wasn't another guy or somehow that they really screwed each other over or anything.

While it's definitely one of the better movies, there was also really nothing that grabbed me so much that I would be eager to rewatch. But definitely a great watch one time!

I found it on Amazon Prime with my Hallmark movies subscription.

What a terrific time! After a long, tough day, I sat down in front of the television daring something to entertain me. I'm so glad I stumbled on A Dash of Love on the Hallmark Channel. The whole setup was really engaging, the performances were spot on, and the story hooked us in from start to finish. I thought I knew where the whole thing was going, but the screenplay, by Judith and Sandra Berg, kept me guessing. Don't let this gem pass you by.