The 27-Hour Day

I was really looking forward to this movie as I think two two leads are great. The movie was slow and not terribly interesting.

The best part was the pig.

The premises aren't that unusual on the face of it, but they play out differently and have a fresh feel. Lauren is a workaholic and is forced to take time to slow down. Jack is trying to save the family business.

Autumn Reeser plays the workaholic a bit different than the usual. Maybe it is her combination of extreme competence combined somehow with klutziness. Andrew Walker plays someone who comes off a bit backward or maybe it's more innocent.

The two have definite chemistry and they spend plenty of screen time developing it.

There aren't many big highs or lows or surprises, but that didn't matter. I enjoyed the relationship.

The climax and ending didn't impress me. It lacked a real conflict. It seemed dragged out and included a speech that was a little preachy.

She is an efficiency expert based in Manhattan, her company is "The 27 Hour Day", and when she meets a famous influencer she is advised to slow down, find some "me" time. So she arranges a week in a get away in Montana. No cell phones, no computer, no watches. Just relax and eat, sleep, arise when you feel like it. And of course the yearly honey festival.

This wouldn't be a Hallmark movie unless there were an attractive, single man to get her attention. He was once a promising Veterinarian student but dropped out when his dad died, going home to Montana to help run the family farm and business.

The "Hallmark Kiss" comes a little earlier than usual but it fits. This story isn't just a romance story, it has good advice about finding time to relax and to appreciate others around you.

My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library. Good movie, entertaining and meaningful.

After the third viewing, I'd like to add that the story line is erratic and seems like a cut and paste for desired messages. Autumn Reeser barely holds this one together with her charm and slight touch of quirkiness. She has a comic and sensitive nuance and is a seasoned pro. Chances for a good laugh were sometimes lost like where the scene Autumn when unloading her bag of tech gear, computer, iPad, etc. Was rushed. In fact, the first few scenes were hurried and the story line was hard to grasp. Autumn and Andrew had zero chemistry in fact it seemed he wished he was somewhere else. What longfull looks between the two came across as empty. The scenery was beautiful. Overall, since the cast and crew had to deal with the constraints of the COVID restrictions including a two-week quarantine for US personnel the production went well.

The premise sounded intriguing and reasonably original for Hallmark but part of me was not sure whether it would entirely work, as it did have the potential to feel rushed or have an unlikeable female lead. 2021 was very hit and miss for Hallmark, but that was to be expected considering the circumstances and also they have always been hit and miss. Will admit to not being particularly impressed by most of the previous 2021 Summer Nights films.

As far as the 2021 Hallmark films go, 'The 27 Hour Day' is neither among the best (i.e. 'As Luck Would Have It') or among the worst (i.e. 'Beverly Hills Wedding'). As far as the 2021 Summer Nights films (which had mediocrities such as 'Sand Dollar Cove') go, it is one of the better ones by quite some way and a contender for the best one up to this point of the Summer Nights block. For anybody who likes Autumn Reeser and Andrew W. Walker, personally do like Reeser and Walker is one of the better Hallmark leading men, 'The 27 Hour Day' is well worth watching.

Both Reeser and Walker are immensely engaging in their roles, particularly Walker who brings his usual easy going understated charm. Reeser gives it everything without overplaying and manages in not overdoing any character flaws, which could easily have been done with this premise. While their chemistry doesn't scintillate, it is at least there and is genuine. The supporting cast are solid and the characters didn't annoy or bore me.

It is a good looking film, particularly the scenery, and the music avoids over scoring, intrusion or drabness. The direction is low key but not not pedestrian. The script is mostly light hearted, playful, sincere and charming and the story mostly engages and warms the heart.

By all means, 'The 27 Hour Day' is not perfect. The pacing is uneven, with the film taking a little while to get going and then it feels rushed and a bit chaotic in the final act. The ending is too pat and easily foreseeable, that was not surprising though as a lot of Hallmark films have this problem.

Furthermore, there is too little conflict and what there is is bland.

Overall, nice film. 7/10.