Amore a Harmony Ranch

Typical Hallmark, which I like. But don't say the main lady performed dressage riding and then have her flop around on the back of a horse. Dressage riders post, not flop.

Or as some people say sappy. I expect Hallmark movies to be sappy and unrealistic with too many things wrapped up all in a bow, but this movie does all that in spades.

The story is a way overused trope where the family business is in jeopardy and a junior executive of a large corporation, Booth, is sent to scout buying it. The whole story is so cliche, or is it? Through most of the movie, I was thinking this premise is ridiculous, and much of it was, but hold off on that judgment because at least some of it makes more sense with a little twist toward the end. One small silly thing that stuck out though was "mucking the stalls" where the hay is already pristine and then they throw it at each other.

It seems that some people are annoyed by Lindy Booth, but not me. Yes her voice is a little out of the normal range. In this movie, she did do a lot of standing around and smiling prettily. It's too bad that she was relegated to that because this woman has a bubbly personality where the joy comes out all over her if given a chance. In this movie, she held that bubbly personality in neutral or maybe just in first gear a little too much. She still played a woman with a very winsome personality. She and Wes Brown connected well.

A couple of supporting actors were also appealing as Cherion Drakes and Dean Redman had a nice secondary romance going and Natalie Lisinska was Josh's friendly sister.

Come on Hallmark movies. The music is WAY WAY too loud and persistent. Can barely hear the dialogue, and TOO TOO persistent as well. It's annoying and unable to enjoy the movie. This has been a common theme in many HM movies lately. I see that another review stated the same objection. Come on Hallmark movies.

Hallmark may be very inconsistent in all their season blocks every year (their Christmas films particularly), but there are films of theirs that are surprisingly well above average and more in every season block and every year. Their 2018 output did have misfires throughout the year ('Christmas at Pemberley Manor'), but also films that impressed me ('Pearl in Paradise'). Was very impressed by the 2018 Fall Harvest efforts, and consider the 2018's Fall Harvest block one of the more consistent Fall Harvest blocks.

'Under the Autumn Moon' is on the whole a pretty good effort. Is it a great film? Not quite, actually an easy film to criticise if one is particularly not familiar with Hallmark's output, which is quite more of the same and very up and down in all its own. Is 'Under the Autumn Moon' worth watching and does it have a lot of good things? Yes, and as far as Hallmark's 2018 output that had been aired already goes it's one of the solid middle ones but also among their better ones overall that year in a typically variable year for them.

It is far from perfect. It is formulaic and doesn't have many surprises, almost everything is obvious well before it happens (and it is not just the neatly wrapped up ending).

As well as the too neat and convenient ending, the whole final act is rushed and contrived. Also didn't like the too constant and over loud music, not uncommon with Hallmark.

On the other hand, there are a lot of good things. Lindy Booth and Wes Brown, both pretty consistently strong Hallmark regulars, are good, and their chemistry connects well and is suitably romantic. The supporting cast are solid. It is a good looking film, especially the scenery. While not a script that will win awards, the script is light-hearted and witty, clearly knowing what it was trying to be and clearly understood the genre the film fits under. Doing so without trying to throw in too much tonally or adding anything unnecessary.

Story is not original, but is full of charm and never takes itself too seriously, while also treating the subject with maturity. The pace never felt dull while not being rushed. The supporting cast are solid.

Also felt that the characters weren't too stereotypical and were more than just typical Hallmark cliches that is seen too often with Hallmark. Also cared for them, with them being true to life with personality traits that appealed with situations worth relating to.

Nice film overall. 7/10.

So many Hallmark movies have the same story - a romance between the owner of a struggling business and the person who works for the person who wants to buy it. Instead of a bookshop it's a dude ranch. The difference here is the scenery is nice, the cast is attractive and authentic enough looking with Wes Brown as the ranch owner and Lindy Booth as the deal maker.