Marry Go Round

Hard-driving executive Abby Foster (Amanda Schull) is eager to get married in a month in Paris. At the last minute, she finds out that she has to finalize her divorce to Luke Walker (Brennan Elliott) back in her hometown after many years.

These are two beautiful people and that is usually half the journey for a Netflix romance. Their first encounter in the movie is a little wonky and neither character is coming off well. They need to rework it for more comedy. I was actually expecting a visit to Paris, but that is not happening. The melodrama is fine. It is standard Netflix with a merry-go-round.

Abby is on the verge of moving to France and marrying her fiancé Edward. In the process of filing her paperwork for the legal marriage in France, she discovers that she is not technically divorced from her high school sweetheart who left her. The only way for her to resolve this in time for the wedding is to appear in court in her hometown before a judge and this means seeing Luke again.

Back home things do not go smoothly in front of the judge and Abby ends up having to stay over the weekend. The mom finally confesses a big secret that makes Abby think differently about her breakup with Luke. Is she making a mistake?

This film started a little awkwardly, but smoothed out with these two veteran Hallmark movie actors, Brennan Elliott and Amanda Schull. My favorite character was actually the step dad Leo! I loved Abby's dress at the dance...it was gorgeous.

Classic hallmark romance that romantics will enjoy. The final scene is beautiful and satisfying.

I really like Brennan Elliott. This movie was a waste of his talent. I am not familiar with Amanda Schull. I would like to see her in some other movies so I could offer more insight to her abilities.

From her first scene in Marry Go Round, I found her character annoying and seriously self-absorbed. I was not impressed with Brennan Elliott's sarcastic attitude either. Of course, the rest of the movie was standard Hallmark fare. There were a few mild twists. However, none were outstanding.

Enter the mother of the bride. She was seriously irritating, and remained so through the rest of the movie. She was one of the most awful examples of the irksome, interfering mother's of the bride to be I have seen in a Hallmark romances. What a disgusting, deceiving witch.

There were some subtle twists to the story. However, there were no big reveals. All in all, it was not a memorable movie.

No great highs or lows or big surprises in the plot itself. The getting-married-but-not-divorced premise is not unusual, but it isn't used every week either. The reason for the original split is similar to a lot of teen break-up stories, but slightly different.

Amanda Schull and Brennan Elliot have a quiet chemistry which is appropriate for two leads who are in their 40's. Their time on screen together is good to watch. Zak Santiago does a nice job also. Santiago has a role which doesn't involve the extremes or silliness some of his characters have (or maybe just the one on Sign, Sealed, Delivered).

This story presents an impossible situation. Edward is cheated on, but Abby doesn't really cheat. Figure that out. The previous statement is not so much a technical statement as an emotional one. And the actors all do a good show showing all the feelings involved. That gives the movie slightly more depth than just saying no highs or lows.

The climax is cheesy. I often say I love sappy. There is a difference and to me this was cheesy.

Another Hallmark romance based on a ridiculous misunderstanding, a deception, or an out-and-out lie (you pick). I found the three main characters (Abby, Luke and Abby's mother) completely unlikable. Basically an interfering and/or dishonest mother; a female lead who is supposedly a successful and intelligent executive, but can't make the simplest decision or read people; and a whiney and needy male lead who is supposed to be lovable I guess, but just irritated me start to finish. Kudos to the supporting actors...a lovable and sweet sister/sister-in-law and niece combo, a kindly and calm father, and a likeable (finally) boyfriend/fiancee.

No obvious spoilers in this review...just an opinion...I did not like this movie.