A Machu Picchu Proposal

I didn't think a movie could be bad enough to spur me to write my first review but here we are.

To echo the sentiments of other reviewers, I used to enjoy Rhiannon Fish in almost anything but lately she seems to be just 'mailing it in', and the utter lack of chemistry between her and Santos in this one is astounding.

Part of Rhiannon's charm has always been her youthful nature and bubbly effervescence but here it falls flat because Santos seems intent on outdoing her exuberance in what is supposed to pass for spontaneity, or so the writers would have you believe.

Not even the breathtaking scenery or vibrant beauty of Peru on display in the market scenes can save this from being a real stinker.

Do better Hallmark.

Every love story has been told repeatedly, and it's nice to watch a movie that adds a little extra to make it different. I enjoyed the humor and appreciated the attempt to be more realistic with how the story flows. I really liked the fact that the movie wasn't just about one couple, and they tried to bring in more of the supporting roles. I also found it neat that they were trying to be relevant with the younger crowd by bringing in new technological props (360 camera).

I won't lie, there were some moments that seemed a bit awkward and forced between some of the characters. I am not sure if it was the writing for those scenes or the actors, or both. But honestly, I haven't watched a Hallmark movie yet that didn't have at least a little awkwardness between some of its characters!

If this movie could have been longer or made into a mini-series, I feel it would have been so much better. There was so much going on it just felt like everything was crammed together and rushed to me, I wanted to slow the whole story down and see more. More of the characters, more of the story line, more of the location, just more!

Overall, I enjoyed this movie. I look forward to watching what the writers come up with next.

It really pains me to write this review. Due to the increasing lack of inspiration and repetitiveness of Hallmark and other TV movies, I have nearly stopped writing reviews, as of lately. Yet, I have personally cherished Rhiannon Fish very much. She is beautiful, lively and, often, funny. So I approached this movie with some expectations and, now, I feel betrayed enough to openly complain. As I have earlier remarked about Hallmark Christmas productions, when script writers are running out of solid ideas, cannot convey real feelings and emotions, or embrace romance, they tend to engage the perilous slope of the farce. Unfortunately, creating a really appealing farce, while trying to express captivating human sentiments and uplifting values, is quite an arduous task, not unlikely to fail. So, we get these half-baked plots, navigating among the idiotic, the juvenile, the outlandish, and the morally corrupt. The characters result shallow, over the edge, forced, and a bit unpleasant. This is such an entry. I blame the script, maybe because I cannot accept that actors I usually like could be solely responsible for the disaster. How does one give life to an empty character with little integrity and superficial qualities? Rarely before I have sen Rhiannon so much overuse the same stereotyped facial expressions and exaggerated body language. But, she is not the only one that seems uncomfortable in his/her role. The interactions feel false, the romance is vapid, the entire bunch of characters appear amateurish. I do agree with earlier reviewers: the story stinks. Thank you Hallmark, for degrading my consideration of one of my favorite actresses!

On the other hand, and this is why I conferred an extra couple of stars to the film, Peru looks beautiful and the cinematography captures its spirit and attractions more than some documentary I have seen in the past. This may be the only reason why one may want to spend a little time and watch the movie.

Wow, reading some of these reviews... I totally understand not every creative effort is for every person, every taste, every time. But I'm a pretty big movie fan and very open-minded to different genres, styles and contexts. That said, I don't always gravitate toward Hallmark movies but I really enjoyed this one! I was home with a cold and happened to catch it on TV, and I was pleasantly surprised at how sweet, wholesome, and light-hearted it was. A romance movie I could easily watch with my grandparents and not feel embarrassed. I also loved that it was beautifully (and respectfully) filmed in Peru, and included Peruvian actors. I am particularly excited to see what chef Carlos does next!

Where do I even begin with this cinematic dumpster fire? This movie was the equivalent of stepping on a LEGO barefoot in the middle of the night, unexpected, painful, and full of regret. I genuinely don't understand how this mess got greenlit, let alone made it all the way to air. Somewhere out there, a script supervisor is laughing or crying.

Now, let me be clear: when I write a critical review, I make a point to watch the entire movie. That's right, I suffered through every cringeworthy minute of this poorly-scripted, chemistry-free catastrophe. And yes, it was absolute torture. I typically enjoy Rhiannon Fish-she's done some solid work-but lately, she's been handed scripts that feel like AI wrote them after a power outage. Costa Rican Wedding and Polar Opposites were already on shaky ground, but this? This one slid right into the abyss.

There was zero chemistry between Carlos and Katie.

None.

Nada.

Watching them attempt romance was like watching two coworkers forced to slow dance at a company holiday party under fluorescent lights. And then there's Katie's brother, Dan-flaky, erratic, and somehow both over-acted and underwritten at the same time. I found him more exhausting than endearing, and that last-minute sibling spat? Laughable. Not in the "ha-ha" way, but more in the "how did this get past the editing room?" way.

The storyline was painfully bad. I kept waiting for a twist, a spark, anything to save it from the pit of cliché mediocrity, but nope. Just more forced dialogue and plot holes big enough to drive a snowplow through. Yes, the scenery was lovely, but you know what else has great scenery? A postcard. And that doesn't waste 90 minutes of my life.

Honestly, Hallmark, you can do better. You have done better. Just last week, you gave us Villa Amore-a total gem. I've watched it three times already, and it keeps getting better. So, how did we go from gourmet to gas station sushi in seven days?

Final verdict: One star, and that's being generous. Please, for the love of all things cozy and romantic, stop recycling the same tired storylines and phoned-in dialogue. The audience deserves more than a pretty backdrop and a script that feels like it was written during a lunch break.