Rent-a-Groom

This is not a Hallmark movie but it follows the Hallmark formula pretty closely. Two single adults are brought together for a job, they become attracted to each other, then some misunderstanding causes a rift, only to be mended and with one minute left they kiss the first time.

The "job" is a bit unusual, SHE wants to give her sickly grandma, a very successful romance novelist, some hope so she contacts a "rent a groom" agency to hire a fellow to pretend to be her fiancee. This involves visiting grandma but then much more. The people at work get involved, what started out as a simple ruse develops into something different with a life of its own.

For the most part the three lead roles are interesting and handled well by the actors. A few of the friends and co-workers are more that a bit annoying, but in the end don't distract too much. Overall just a pleasant entertainment, much like standard Hallmark movies are.

It was filmed in Alberta, Canada, my wife and I watched it at home, streaming on Amazon Prime.

The grandma is playing the girl/woman so that her daughter gets engaged...in order that her granddaughter will be "happy ". Grandma is "cured".etc., and then the chaos ensues due to all the ubiquitous manipulations. Of course there is a romance, and I'm sure it works out all in the end, it's the nature of these types of movies. It harks of the Hallmark movie style, and I was surprised that it was NOT a Hallmark movie. Anyways, my main objection is that lying gets you where you want to go...and of course life will be happy ever after. How can any of that be a good thing? I could just be jaded...and if I've burst bubbles. My apologies.

Typical Hallmark style movie but with better acting. A plot that has been used and abused far two many times. Girl needs to get married because of grandmother's mandate. No boyfriend, so she hires one. You can guess what the outcome will be.

Unfortunately, scriptwriters lack creativity and originality and resort to the also used and abused misunderstanding. Girl hears part of a conversation and assumes things, runs away and cries. Why would she ask for an explanation? Well, because that is the only conflict the writer could come up with. Of course, all's well that ends well.

The male lead was not very plausible at the beginning of the movie. The character became more solid towards the middle of the movie. The plump, long haired coworker was surreal and obnoxious.

Again, the acting, with a few exceptions, exceeds the average Hallmark movie.

This movie is yet another in the well-populated category of "2 people thrown together at the beginning out of necessity, fear of ridicule or happenstance who fall in love by the end." That's quite okay. There's nothing wrong with yet another one. But their sheer number means that any such movie must live up to the standards of the genre or it's a failure. We know the starting point and the destination going in; what we're looking for is an entertaining journey. Well, not here, folks. The script is lackluster, the dialogue tries way too hard but is still lame, the directing is flat-footed and clumsy, and the acting is forgettable. Kylee Bush is attractive and with better direction might do a better job; but her acting talents fail to carry this film. And Stafford Perry is either appallingly miscast or seriously badly directed. Worst of all, the two leads have absolutely no on-screen chemistry. (Think Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal. This isn't that movie.)

This one is strictly desperation time for insomniacs. That's a disappointment for all of us who are softies at heart.

The film is saved by actors and, for some moments, by dialogue. Stafford Perry offers a real beautiful portrait for his character and its way to define the basic traits of relation with others.

So, not memorable, but decent. Not ignoring the dusty, in this case pretty stupid , critic moment or the difficulties of beginning. But being only a Hallmark, unfair to expect too much.

In short, pleasant, nice and full of so familiar cliches. But working for the fair effort of actors to give to story some coherence and credibility.

And, sure, good portrait of self made life of a man for too long time under the cold shadow of his succesul father.