Le bal des pompiers

I just plain enjoy cute family movies... movies where you can smile, feel good both during and after viewing them, movies for couples to watch together or for an entire family. This is just a cute movie, and a pleasure to watch. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 1/15/2021

I just watched this movie on the Hallmark channel on demand. Why did they show 118 minutes of a 130 minute movie. There was no ending. It just cut off at the firemen's ball. What a ripoff and waste of 118 minutes of my time.

Dan (William Baldwin) is a widower and a firefighter. Although he isn't interested in meeting someone else at this time, he wants to encourage his almost-a-teen son Tyler (Christian Martyn) to pursue a pretty classmate. Ty may doubt that his father knows about love but, with this dad's strategies, Tyler soon has a date with the gal. Meanwhile, a florist, Kate (Natalie Brown) has been hurting since her most recent boyfriend, Gavin, left their town for Los Angeles. At one time, she thought he was "the one" and that wedding bells would soon follow. It didn't happen. Now, the firefighters' association is throwing a gala, where a bachelor firefighter will be auctioned off for a date with some lucky gal. Dan comes calling on Kate's floral business to provide the flowers. Whoa, this lady is lovely, funny, and she plays softball! Soon, Dan is inviting Kate to play on his team and growing more interested in her; perhaps, it is time he moved on. But, wait, horrors! Now Gavin comes back on the scene, with a ring box in his hands. Kate, who was making eyes at Dan, too, is thrown into a tizzy. Which man is for her, long term? This fine movie is a sweet, funny romantic comedy. You remember those, right, even though Hollywood doesn't make em anymore? Thank goodness Hallmark keeps putting together hit after hit in the romcom category, for all of the fans of the genre. Baldwin and Brown make a great couple while the supporting cast shines, too. You will also love the costumes, sets, and polished script. But, hey, do not wait for Valentine's Day alone to snag this winner. It is most enjoyable in any month, not just ones with only 28 days!

Natalie Brown is an MBA who decided she would rather be happy and chucked it to run a flower shop. William Baldwin is a widowed firefighter with a pleasant adolescent son -- clearly this is some sort of fantasy. The writers hit all the notes in this stereotypical Hallmark Channel TV St. Valentine's Day movie and the result is pleasant if unmemorable fluff.

Cameraman Peter Benison tries to spice up the proceedings with some interesting moving shots. There's a series of pans from left to right and back again when Ms. Brown and her best friend are discussing her woes in a bar; the effect lends a low-stress, humorous tone to her problems. On the other hand, there are some cheating shots; when Mr. Baldwin is looking at old Valentines from his marriage, we are offered alternating shots of the valentines and Mr. Baldwin. Perhaps the intent was to slow down the scene and make it more contemplative. Instead, it raised in my mind the question of why they didn't show both in the same shot.

I might have been happier if there had been more sense of place. However, for anyone looking for an undemanding, romantic story for Valentine, this should be all right.

I happen to like the Baldwin brothers a lot. I don't think there's a movie of theirs I haven't liked. There's a charm to them and their acting style that is only in a few other actors I have noticed. I like their charm! I also liked the almost teen love/bond in this movie as well. But the one thing I loved most about this movie was the 'screw you' ex-boyfriend who didn't want me back then, wants me now because it's competitive???? Stupid games men play! Men better figure out what they have before they decide to walk away. They need to treat women better than they do. Just because they are less emotional doesn't mean the girls don't have control over their own desires. I get on my high horse about the ways men control in this world. I hate it! Leave the women alone! We are strong enough on our own and we need men not much at all. Sorry to seem like a man-hater in this review because not all men dominate in relationships, women play that role as well. So I side with the equal opportunities in the men as opposed to what we are used to experiencing with men in the real world. I'm not a male-hater, I just don't tend to like their controlling natures when it comes to how they treat women. Anyway, great movie! Watch it once, for sure!