Presos no Paraíso

Oh if only we all could just leave our jobs and go to an island. It sounds great and was fun to watch! It simply just isn't that easy.

A good escapism romance, a virtual vacation where you just sit back, turn off the brain and watch a woman with good hair and nice power suits have the worst day ever. You don't have to think too hard here (and shouldn't) as the plot takes you to sunny Puerto Rico with a cute story, a few laughs and a charming male lead.

The story follows a suddenly unemployed executive who tries to land a new job at an HR convention in Puerto Rico. After several smaller disasters a hurricane shuts down the island and a fire puts her out of her hotel, all into the orbit of a handsome fellow traveller.

I liked both of the leads here; decent acting and nice chemistry from James Denton and Vanessa Marcil. I also have to admit to getting a certain amount of pleasure watching Tess have the worst day ever, whatever could go wrong did for her. There were some entertaining secondary characters here too; the Basil Fawlty-ish hotel concierge and I also liked the old lady with her bits of life wisdom. The storm scene was poorly done but I was still satisfied. 4/5/15 *Vancouver B.C as Denver

FYI- This has been based on a Christian fiction book. The source is irrelevant though as the movie bears no religious undertones except that it is very clean, with just one kiss towards the end.

My husband and I watched this last night as it seemed a harmless bit of fluff and there was nothing else on. Ended up really enjoying it...not for the movie itself, which is barely average, but because once we started noticing the continuity errors (such as setting off for a destination in the middle of the night and arriving in broad daylight...We are talking Puerto Rico here!)we spent the rest of the movie cracking up over them. Especially during the "hurricane" segment where they were boarding up windows in preparation, but sitting next to a window with open shutters during the height of the storm. The more you start looking, the more things are just all sorts of wrong, to the point that that alone is worth the watch.

Also, the hotel manager was an almost perfect amalgam of Basil Fawlty and the waiter Manuel, which had to be purposeful casting.

6.4 stars.

There is little to say about this film that hasn't been stated in every other romance of its kind. Two people meet on a plane to Puerto Rico, the man is from USA the woman is from USA, the man is a vagabond, the woman is a corporate pawn with no spontaneity. The formula for "Stranded in Paradise" seems to fit within the general era from whence it spawned, which in this case is 2014. Back then Hallmark was still morphing their blueprint. 2014 seems like yesterday for a guy my age, but is a lifetime for someone in their 30's or younger. Hallmark films were more reckless in their presentation back then, making all sorts of gaffs and really obvious mistakes in the productions. The story itself is mundane, and the theme is not communicated effectively, which is probably meant to be something like: find your purpose in life, nobody can find it for you. The romance is virtually absent until the last minute where we are ensconced in a veritable passion fiesta. Too little, too late.

Uptight HR executive looses her job when they "restructure", Tess. Thinking that she could network and potentially get a new job she attends a convention in Puerto Rico. On her trip everything that could go wrong does. First she looses her phone, then her shoes, then her luggage, then her hope of getting a new job, and then a hurricane comes.

She ends up seeking shelter from the hurricane with Stella, a woman she met walking a cat on a leash. Stela has a great back story. She is a widow who had a brief touch with Hollywood.

Both Stella and Carter, a gentleman she meets on the plane, seemed to be doing their best to help Tess loosen up and live a little.

Once she looses the suit...

"Don't live someone else's dream. You have to find your own."-Carter

"Ask yourself are you happy? And if you aren't, is there something you could do to make you happy?"-Carter.

"You're too sweet to be a vagabond forever."-Stella.

Beautiful island, gorgeous Vanessa Marcel, and James Denton...this was a sweet romantic film about pursuing something that will make you happy instead of pleasing others.