L'amore è complicato

Hallmark has done it again!! This is such a delightful movie Ben Bass is perfect for the role and brings a laugh or smile to your face more than once when things get complicated. It is a change of pace and does become complicated in a funny serious kind of way. What really is nice is the man gets who the woman is and what her problem is and to boot he helps her become the person she is meant to be. This is a must watch!! You will love it!! It does have many complications that I personally found funny! It is so delightfully funny when you feel you have no problems and find you are loaded with problems. Taking care of the problems in a group proved awkward and funny! You will enjoy it!!

Good chemistry, good acting, good dialogue, and some surprising, original aspects. Completely engaging!

I've been a people-pleaser most of my life, but now I'm just here to be a member of this forward progress team of movements that help us improve our life game. I used to do the same and go out of my way to avoid conflict. I hated conflict, but now I believe some of that brings out clear change as well. So my ideas about conflict have changed. Conflict can deliver the necessary changes needed to move forward in life. Confronting others (outside of me) in a limited fashion now instead of arguing with anyone. To me, being with more happier people is more pleasant in my opinion, than being with unfocused anyone. I'd much rather be with a much happier unfocused person, than an unhappy, unfocused person....that's double trouble! I can't deal with both unhappy and unfocused. So my focus is to do my best to include the happiness of others (in my focus), so we all can have some happiness. So yes, just like this movie, I have the same desire to keep the people around me happy. It just make more sense to me. So the movie was more about resolving inner conflicts, all the while she is writing a book called 'My Life As A Doormat'. Ironically, a doormat is something people walk all over. And that is what can happen to unhappy, unfocused people...resulting in a lack of control in one's own life and others controlling it instead. I have learned how to nip that in the bud for myself, thankful!! Clever script-writing! Well thought out and different for Hallmark! Sometimes, Hallmark choices are really outside of the routine box and I love that. Thanks Hallmark!

Leah Townsend (Holly Marie Combs) is in a rut. She's struggling to write her second book after a successful debut with a book about her childhood as a senator's daughter. She's reluctant to confront her bland boyfriend Edward about their stagnant relationship. She avoids conflicts and gets signed up for a conflict management group. She's annoyed at being struck with her nemesis, critical shock jock Cinco Dublin (Ben Bass).

She hates him. She loves him. It's classic rom-com and fits perfectly for Hallmark. It's funny that rom-com tropes become conflict management. Combs and Bass are essentially second tier players sent to lead the team. I like them as actors and they have a fun chemistry. Combs is always good at being cute infuriated and Bass has a great devil-may-care attitude. This is a formulaic TV rom-com movie and there is nothing complicated about that.

I'm hugely fond of this film and never get tired of it. Once, on a very bad day, I watched it twice in a row to cheer myself up. It worked.

I don't really know why it works so well for me. The story line isn't particularly original, but it's executed in an unusual way and in an unusual context. A conflict resolution class sounds like nonsense but, as an inveterate people pleaser, I can see it.

Ben Bass and Holly Marie Combs work very well together and have excellent chemistry. I truly love the last ten minutes at the party.

The script is sharp, well executed by two very experienced and talented actors. What's not to love?