Love of the Irish

I enjoyed this Hallmark movie, as I love Ireland and love watching any movie filmed there. I do get annoyed at the cliche Hallmark formats but this one had a bit of a different angle. Moira Kelly was great and I haven't seen her in anything since the Cutting Edge, so of course, she looked older to me. The one thing that bothered me the most was the ending. The final scene was just abruptly cut off, as if the editors knew they were running out of time, and just edited it mid-scene. Otherwise, I enjoyed the rest of the movie for what it was-a heartfelt, fun romp looking for love and luck in Ireland.

Plot (25%) The plot is engaging, with heartwarming and refreshing storylines. Score: 25% Characters (20%) The characters are heartwarming and nice, but the repeated use of "bestie" felt cringey for adult women. Score: 18% Direction (15%) The pacing was well-done, but the tone felt overly gloomy at times. Score: 12% Visuals (15%) The visuals are stunning, proving live-action can deliver impressive imagery. Score: 15% Music (10%) The song "Eye of the Irish" felt unnecessary and out of place. Score: 5% Theme (10%) The theme of luck is intriguing, and Fiona's change of fortune was satisfying. Score: 7% Entertainment Value (5%) Surprisingly more entertaining than expected. Score: 4% Overall: 86% Better than expected, a strong start to 2025's romance movie lineup.

Fiona (Shenae Grimes Beech), a woman with "bad luck," goes to Ireland with her mother, Helen (Moira Kelly), to search for her mother's biological mother and to try to improve her luck. She meets an interesting local man, Liam, (Stephen Hagan), who owns the local pub and brews his own beer. Liam helps Fiona try to improve her luck by showing her customs in Ireland that are deemed to bring luck. This naturally leads to romantic feelings for both.

Meanwhile, Helen finds her birth mother and spends time getting to know her.

The best thing about this show is the setting in Ireland. It offers beautiful scenery and some Irish customs, dancing and Irish music. It's nice to see something different on Hallmark!

Is this the best movie ever? No. Does the story line have a bunch of missing pivotal points? You know it. Does everyone in the movie look like they are related to one another? Absolutely! Would I watch this movie again? Nope! Am I glad I watched this movie? Yes! Only cause I watched it with my mother and everytime anything remotely romantic, sweet or cute happened she said "oh my"! Clearly, the target audience is the 60+ women (of which I am not). So ya if you're a male in your thirties this may not be for you; but if you are male in your thirties and find it amusing to see your mom get excited over the tinest thing, then this is totally your movie.

Note: while everyone looks the same, I double checked they are in fact not related.

7.1 stars.

This story is nestled right in there with 1000 other Hallmark stories. It doesn't stand out particularly, there is nothing substantial in the story that makes me think I want to return to watch this anytime soon.

The acting is pretty good, nice to see a return of Moira Kelly. The setting is in Ireland, there's a lot of scenery, and it feels cold, it is during the cold season after all.

It's a story of a woman who is down on her luck, so to speak. She works odd jobs while trying to land a prominent role in any major ballet show. She and her mother live in New York. Her mother (Kelly) has never known her real mother, all she knows is that her real mother lives in Ireland. Mother and daughter set out on a journey to Ireland. Most of the movie is in Ireland. It's somewhat fun, partially interesting, a bit entertaining, but nothing spectacular.