Amore in panchina

Up front I should say I'm not really a big rom-com fan, and it takes something special for me to sit through one. I caught this one while surfing with the remote - came in about 5 minutes late and wound up staying for the whole thing. Thought the chemistry between the two leads was strong, and the supporting cast was pretty good as well...and I'm not even a football fan either. Just an interesting and unique combination of elements that just worked and worked well. Going to record it next time it's on for the first few minutes that were missed. From where I sit, kudos to all involved for a solid movie. Some cute and amusing moments, and recommended.

Laurel graduated with a degree in fashion design, but is having trouble breaking in to the industry. To make ends meet she takes a job as a personal assistant to a famous football player who just went on the injury list. These two do not get along and it doesn't help that Laurel knows nothing about football. Feeling sorry for Laurel and really wanting a male assistant, Danny Holland agrees to keep her till he gets back to playing. As time goes by, Laurel makes herself invaluable as she slowly learns the trade with a little help from her new roommate and her best friend's boyfriend, who just happens to be Danny Holland's biggest fan.

The two romantic leads are fantastic and have a lot of chemistry in this slow burn hate to love sports romance. The supporting cast is rounded out with an actual football playing father and two gorgeous best friends (both Laurel's and Danny's).

This reminded me a lot of a book I read last year...The Wall of Winnipeg (fun romance, if you are interested).

For some reason I watch this movie over and over. The story premise isn't overdone and actually makes more sense than a lot of these movies.

The acting is OK. John Reardon lacks some spark. The rest of the actors are mostly OK.

But what keeps bringing me back is Emily Kinney, both the actress and the role of Laurel. Kinney plays this part perfectly. She's nerdy and sports-ignorant, but she can learn. She's insecure, but has courage. And she is so likeable.

I will admit that this is probably a case of a movie and an actor that caught me just right and so it may be that I am being generous, but I think Kinney is worth watching.

What you need in a film like this is an attractive young woman who can act; a presentable male lead who can act; and a genuine story involving characters who you feel able to care about. Everyone knows what the plot is and how the story ends, so the mystery and interest lies in the journey as opposed to the destination.

Emily Kinney is a very attractive woman who acts very well. She brings a lot of charm and warmth to her role and male viewers induced by their female friends to watch this film will find her likable and pleasing to watch. John Reardon is suitable to be a male lead and looks like he might be a professional sportsman; he also can act the part. The story is predictable but engaging and well written, with well observed characters and situations. The correct boxes are ticked and more than this, the film is a good entertainment; which after all is the whole point of a film such as this.

I really enjoyed this movie and was even surprised a couple times throughout. It was interesting to see how it played out. I'm glad I stuck to it after not loving either character in the beginning because then they had time to grow. I'm a football fan(go Bills!), but they kinda overdid the football analogies. Once I lived through that, it was fun and honestly one of the best I've seen in awhile.