Secret Millionaire

7.9 stars.

Not quite sure what all the negativity is about with 'Secret Millionaire'. I could study my personal viewing experiences of all Hallmark, UP and Family films to figure out why I like this film so very much, and the secret of why it appeals to so very few of us. It's a rare situation where my likes and tastes do not overlap with my fellow comrades and lovers of family friendly romance films. I could search to find a pattern, but for now I'm going to guess what it is about 'Secret Millionaire' that causes us to fall into this schism. The first aspect I really enjoyed is the way the leads feed off each other. Other critics feel there is no chemistry, but I beg to differ, and I object wholeheartedly. There's an unquestionable bond between the leads. In addition, the supporting cast are all excellent and full of personality. I'm not certain about the side plot with the roommate juggling two guys. Give us more depth to that storyline, don't develop it 75% and just leave us dangling. That is my only criticism, maybe it was bad writing or lack of run time. But I cannot emphasize enough, this is one of those outlier films that I really enjoyed and it's not clear why most of the audience didn't. So I'd like to say you will enjoy 'Secret Millionaire', but don't take my word for it. Afraid I'm alone on this one.

The story is built around a lot of the usual overworked tropes for this type of movie. The central one is that Sean is harboring a lie that will threaten the relationship when it comes out - Sean is the son of the guy Allison is fighting. We know that from the start. There's the usual sequence of Sean almost revealing but gets interrupted..

For most of the movie, Sean's dad is a one dimensional jerk. He is intentionally insulting to Sean and he seems to enjoy being disappointed in him. So his confession at the end makes no sense.

This is a rom/com with two romances going parallel, so Allison and Sean's gets slightly shortchanged between that and the effort to save the park. As a result any chemistry between Steve Lund and Siobhan Williams doesn't get much chance to develop.

The acting is at best fair and often poor. Michael Kopsa as the already described one dimensional dad is the latter. The 4 or 5 principle characters are just barely fair. I will say that this movie has three exceptionally pretty young women with great smiles as the two roommates and the rival. On the positive side, Karen Holness probably does the best acting and Jaime M. Callica does his job as the funny ne'er-do-well best friend even if the script overplays it a bit.

The story is so predictable that it has no highs or lows or surprises.

The background music isn't too loud, but it's noticeably bland. A lot of the dialogue is boring.

Steve Lund is good as Sean Payton, the son of a millionaire businessman trying for the last 10 years to avoid working for his forceful businessman father. Michael Kopsa is excellent in this role and when people call him Mr Payton, it is as if they wouldn't dare to call him William to his face.

Siobhan Williams plays protestor Alisson Johnson, who is active against the Paytons' scheme to level a park. Yes, she comes over well as being bruised and vulnerable, but I really struggled to find any chemistry between her and Sean. Perhaps it is because he is much taller than her, making interactions difficult?

On the other hand, Elise Gatien is convincing as the predatory female Candice, with matching body language showing she finds Sean attractive. There is a nice little twist near the end when we find out what her true motives are.

A distraction to the main flow of the plot is Alisson's housemate Beth (played by Allie Bertram) trying to make her mind up between the reliable Caden (played by Adam DiMarco) and the charming Pascal (played by Ben Sullivan).

I found Jaime Callica as Sean's best friend Jared to come over as not being serious enough for someone like Sean. Did like the scene where Alisson's boss Antonia (played by Karen Holness) lays into Sean. Yes, bosses do that.

However, for me, the best part of the film is the last 10 minutes where the father-son relationship and their motivations are explored, which brings the various strands of the film neatly together.

Overall, a very watchable and pleasant Hallmark film.

As usual with non-Hallmark TV romances this one strays from the formula just a bit. First of all we have a lack of a festival or small town/big city conflict. This one is the "save the park or whatever" plot. Hey, I didn't say it was a complete departure! It's a formula, just not the usual Hallmark formula.

An indulged son of a real estate mogul has been drifting from one thing to another, while his father wants him to settle down and work with him at his company. He gives him an ultimatum that he has to find a job within a week or he will be cut off from his financial support. Leaving the building he runs into some protesters who are trying to rescue their beloved park from his fathers evil development plans. He conceals his identity and gets a job as a chef in the cute one's food truck.

Of course, it is only a matter of time before it will be discovered that he is none other than the son of the person who is trying to take the park away. Thus the suspense and tension. The predictable story is enlivened by the cast. Siobhan Williams is a fresh face and is a perfect spunky girl next door type. Steve Lund, a Hallmark regular is as attractive and reliable as usual. The Secondary couple have a sweet courtship, complicated by a rival love interest. Both of the guys are appealing until one of them turns out to be a big phony.

There is corporate-type other woman for our hero, and the Dad learns something about his own grandfather that leads to a happy ending for all. Of course.

An ok film, and the leads were easy on the eye. However, the actor playing Jared overacted to the extreme. Clearly hasn't learned the art of 'less is more'.