Love on the Slopes

Good family movie, however yet again background music forces the viewer to strain to hear the dialogue.

The filming was in British Columbia, Canada and the scenery is gorgeous and makes for great winter sports.

Alex (Katrina Bowden) aspires to become a travel writer and is given a chance to write a story about her fears of almost anything adventure related as she participates in overcoming them. Early in the movie she meets a sports enthusiast Cole (Thomas Deadoin) who has some weaknesses of his own. Cole becomes Alex's guide. As they conquer some of Alex's fears sparks flies. While the chemistry isn't the greatest, it is solid. Alex was a little annoying early in the movie but as it progressed I enjoyed her and hope to see her in more HM movies. This is a movie that I will enjoy again in the future.

Review submitted: 1/28/2018 --- Victor J.

Hallmark movies most of the time are a pleasant timepass but hardly more. This one is one of the exceptions. This one leaves you with its impression. You actually see the development that happens over the course of the movie. The love that blossoms between the leads feels natural instead of forced and manufactured. Their expressive acting breaths life into the story. Overall a commendable job. One of those movies you can watch again.

Hallmark is great at making setting an important part of the movie, but this particular film does that in spades. There's incredible snowy mountain scenery here, especially in the scene where Alex and Cole zipline across a canyon above an icy river. Just gorgeous. Seriously, this is worth watching for the scenery alone.

As for the romance, I liked the leads, even if Alex's girly "I'm so not sporty" was a bit ridiculous initially. The premise of having her do a lot of winter-y extreme sports allowed for breathtaking vistas and for her to cling to manly extreme sports guide, Cole. The chemistry was pretty good, especially towards the end. The script was serviceable.

All in all, one I will rewatch. The leads are attractive and appealing enough that the romance was decent. But it's mainly the setting that puts this one over the top for me.

'Love on the Slopes' is not just the first Winterfest film of 2018, it is also the film that started off the 2018 Hallmark batch. Haven't seen all four of the 2018 Winterfest films yet, the other one already seen being 'One Winter Weekend' which for me was rather average. Was not familiar really with the cast, so there was no overall opinion of the actors prior to watching. The premise didn't sound anything special, typical Hallmark really, but the Hallmark formula has worked quite a number of times.

It does have moments where that formula does in 'Love on the Slopes' and of this and 'One Winter Weekend' for me this was the better film. Yet a good deal more could have been done with it and it doesn't completely come together. 'Love on the Slopes' is not a bad film by all means and it has a number of things in its favour. It also though falls short of being great, and has some significant debits that bring it down. Not one of the best 2018 Hallmark films, also not one of the worst.

Am going to begin with the good things. The production values are beautiful, especially the scenery which is magical at its best and the photography does nothing to trivialise it. A big asset as well is Katrina Bowden, who is likeable and acts with charm and spirit like her role needs. Her character was luckily not one of the personality free or overacted ones, coming over as neither too perfect or over negative. The supporting cast are solid with no exception.

There are enough moments of charm and heart and some of the script is not too cheesy or schmaltzy. There is the right amount of light hearted-ness.

Was a lot less keen though on the incredibly uncomfortable looking Thomas Beaudoin, the uptightness is taken to extremes and neither he or his character loosen up enough. A lot more chemistry between him and Bowden was needed, any charm comes in small spurts too late and it just felt bland, too hesitant and under-rehearsed. The romance itself could have been better written, there is not much of one, it takes too long to develop and then it rushes unrealistically.

Despite finding the story not too bad on the whole, it's just too safe and predictable with some draggy pacing here and there and a far too convenient and over sappy ending. The music score is overbearing and is used too much.

Overall, decent but not great. 6/10.