Marry Go Round

Did someone cut Hallmark's lighting budget? Why is half this movie filmed in the dark? It's the oddest thing I've ever seen where half the movie takes place at night in the dark. Important scenes where you can barely read facial reactions. It's like they were given two weeks to film so they shot late in the night after cutting the lights and thought "just roll with it".

All that aside, this is still a hard pass. The mom is truly awful from start to finish. Her character is manipulative and clueless. It's actually the main reason this movie is just bad. The rest is typical Hallmark formula. You know what you're going to get so no surprises there.

Hard-driving executive Abby Foster (Amanda Schull) is eager to get married in a month in Paris. At the last minute, she finds out that she has to finalize her divorce to Luke Walker (Brennan Elliott) back in her hometown after many years.

These are two beautiful people and that is usually half the journey for a Netflix romance. Their first encounter in the movie is a little wonky and neither character is coming off well. They need to rework it for more comedy. I was actually expecting a visit to Paris, but that is not happening. The melodrama is fine. It is standard Netflix with a merry-go-round.

No great highs or lows or big surprises in the plot itself. The getting-married-but-not-divorced premise is not unusual, but it isn't used every week either. The reason for the original split is similar to a lot of teen break-up stories, but slightly different.

Amanda Schull and Brennan Elliot have a quiet chemistry which is appropriate for two leads who are in their 40's. Their time on screen together is good to watch. Zak Santiago does a nice job also. Santiago has a role which doesn't involve the extremes or silliness some of his characters have (or maybe just the one on Sign, Sealed, Delivered).

This story presents an impossible situation. Edward is cheated on, but Abby doesn't really cheat. Figure that out. The previous statement is not so much a technical statement as an emotional one. And the actors all do a good show showing all the feelings involved. That gives the movie slightly more depth than just saying no highs or lows.

The climax is cheesy. I often say I love sappy. There is a difference and to me this was cheesy.

Abby is on the verge of moving to France and marrying her fiancé Edward. In the process of filing her paperwork for the legal marriage in France, she discovers that she is not technically divorced from her high school sweetheart who left her. The only way for her to resolve this in time for the wedding is to appear in court in her hometown before a judge and this means seeing Luke again.

Back home things do not go smoothly in front of the judge and Abby ends up having to stay over the weekend. The mom finally confesses a big secret that makes Abby think differently about her breakup with Luke. Is she making a mistake?

This film started a little awkwardly, but smoothed out with these two veteran Hallmark movie actors, Brennan Elliott and Amanda Schull. My favorite character was actually the step dad Leo! I loved Abby's dress at the dance...it was gorgeous.

Classic hallmark romance that romantics will enjoy. The final scene is beautiful and satisfying.

Another Hallmark romance based on a ridiculous misunderstanding, a deception, or an out-and-out lie (you pick). I found the three main characters (Abby, Luke and Abby's mother) completely unlikable. Basically an interfering and/or dishonest mother; a female lead who is supposedly a successful and intelligent executive, but can't make the simplest decision or read people; and a whiney and needy male lead who is supposed to be lovable I guess, but just irritated me start to finish. Kudos to the supporting actors...a lovable and sweet sister/sister-in-law and niece combo, a kindly and calm father, and a likeable (finally) boyfriend/fiancee.

No obvious spoilers in this review...just an opinion...I did not like this movie.