As Luck Would Have It

This is a beautiful movie, and deserves sequels! Like other Hallmark movies filmed in Rome, Paris and Africa, location authenticity raises the bar. There is beautiful scenery, quaint locales, pub music, brogue, and whiskey. Sláinte!

"Luck" isn't your typical Hallmark movie, but in the best of ways. It has a "Leap Year" (2010) charm. 'Lindsay' favors Amy Adams, and 'Brennan' has Matthew Goode's wry humor and touch of melancholy.

Hallmark truly redeemed itself from what my disappointment in "Forever in My Heart" (2019). Ok, "Luck" has another hotel development project intersecting local Ireland, but it shows us more of Ireland, including the majestic Cliffs of Moher. JoAnna Swisher is utterly charming. Allen Leach is a native Irishman, and his accent and use of the old Irish language are second nature, not coached.

As attractive and welcome the fresh faces of the two leads were, this one did not impress. I loved the authentic setting in Ireland as well, but the plot was totally forced. The whole premise was based on a hotel chain wanting to tear down a historic and beautiful castle in order to replace it with a glass, steel, and concrete monstrosity. That is totally bizarre. What traveler to rural Ireland would prefer such an accommodation over a beautiful castle? Not one sane one with any sense or taste. Why would they be visiting Ireland in the first place if not to soak in it's atmosphere, beauty, and history? If you want modern, stay in Dublin. And to think that any representative of the Hotel could lobby for such a notion and still be considered a sympathetic heroine does not fly. Nope. This one did not pass the smell test. If they wanted to copy Leap Year with Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, they should have gone all the way and copied the story line as well.

Being a Hallmark movie my wife and I knew what to expect. They are all clean and follow the Hallmark formula. Attractive single woman and attractive single man are attracted to each other but some big differences need to be worked out before they can find real love.

In this story she is a USA based negotiator for a big company that buys properties and builds hotels and resorts. She is sent to a quaint village on the Irish coast to do a deal but the locals don't want to sell unless the old, run-down castle can be preserved. The village badly needs money.

He (a real Irishman) seems to be the local jack of all trades. He runs the pub, he makes his own Irish whiskey, he is involved in the yearly matchmaking festival, and a few other things. Including having played Tom Branson on Downton Abbey.

All in all a nicely entertaining movie, beautifully filmed, viewed at home on DVD from our public library.

This movie seems like it will use the premise of a company sending a woman to do a hatchet job on a small community, in this case by convincing them to tear down their beloved castle. Yes it is a terrible idea but it fits the mold of so many other movies in the same genre. Then of course something would keep that woman in town so she can fall in love with some local hunk. This movie did it in a slightly different way than usual. It was also more realistic than most that follow this premise in that the woman sent to pitch the locals actually goes about it with tact and charm. So many movies that follow this premise have the executive be arrogant and closed minded.

It did set me back a little in enjoyment when the local hunk, Brennan, sets his mind to chase Lindsey away by playing cruel tricks on her as she tries to immerse herself in the local culture. He's the one that's arrogant and closed minded.

Romantically, the ending is predictable, but then this is Hallmark and the world would cease to revolve if there weren't that kind of ending. But I found the way things worked out business-wise was a little different from the norm.

Johanna Garcia Swisher was charming and beautiful. She had great chemistry with Allen Leech once he stopped mistreating her. Watching their characters get to know each other was one of the highpoints of the movie, but still second to the amazing scenery. It made me sad that I missed a chance to go there a few years ago.

The views & cinematography,was beautifully done.

Overall story,actors chosen & acting was decent.

Music didn't distract,from scenes or talking.

Check it out!