Love Strikes Twice

A different movie than usual featuring time travel similar to Back to the Future and a caper familiar to fans of Leverage. Second chances are what we all wonder about and this movie shows how small decisions can lead to big results later.

Katie Findlay is not only adorable, she is an incredibly skilled actress. Her performance was outstanding, as her facial expressions and physicality were crucial in creating a believable comic character. She is a real star and if Hallmark is smart they'd sign her to a long term contract.

No, this is not a re-make of 'Peggy Sue Got Married' but it uses a similar story-telling technique. Katie Findlay is really, really good as Chicago lawyer Maggie Turner, about to make junior partner in the firm and wondering if she and her husband made the right choices 15 years earlier. So one night, out for a walk, she throws a coin in the fountain to make a wish, bumps her head, and the next thing she knows is she is back home in 2006, 15 years earlier.

A careful reading of the title pretty much tells us what will happen but it is a very entertaining movie to show how a few changes in history can have a great influence on how things will turn out when 2021 arrives again. In that respect it also has a 'Back to the Future' vibe to it, when Marty got back and his parents were in a much different status.

Anyway, for us one of the more enjoyable Hallmark movies, my wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library.

I started watching not knowing what it was about, and I was digging the fact that the lead couple was having marital problems. I thought this would progress down an interesting road of trying to fix something that is broken, but instead the writers dove into the deep end of time travel. I was in for either option -- anything has to better than the formulaic two people meet and fall in love in a couple of days.

I also like the lead actress. She does a great job of making her dialogue seem natural. The rest of the cast isn't always at that level, but I'm sure the script they were given didn't allow much creativity there.

Starts out slow and doesn't really have a hook that sucks you in, but if you give it time it actually does get better and funnier. Kate Findlay's comedic timing is on point, her facial acting is sublime, and eventually she will win you over with her charm when at first she's not all that likeable. Bonus points for the thinly veiled James Bond theme as she & her "future husband" pull off a little caper. Most of all not a stereotypical Hallmark movie which is a refreshing change. The only thing that needs addressed is a note to the director that pretending a movie is set in America only works if you remind your Canadian actors to say "owt" & "abowt" and not "oot" & "aboot" because it's just jarring to an American ear.

This movie was typucal Hallmark fare. I think the two leads Did a really good job. I would have liked to see a bit mor3 chemistry but after the preview trailers I was expecting a dud. Whoever views those trailers needs to highlight more of5h3 benefits than the negatives.

I didn't think Katie Findlay could lead a movie from the promo but she did a good job. Would have like to see a real differ3nce that looked liked 15 years on two of the leads who no change and mr turner had a small change. Would have 3nhanced a bit.