DanaOne Reviews

Curious Caterer: Foiled Plans (2024 TV Movie)

Twists & Turns

[10/10 · 28 April 2024]

This is one of the best series Hallmark has done, and the ball keeps rolling with this movie. It's a mystery that keeps you guessing; with a touch of humor, a touch of romance but zero sap.

I was surprised a few times with twists and turns, and it was fun for me not to know who the murderer was. I really didn't know until the end.

The writing, acting and direction are all excellent. The supporting cast is topnotch. The medieval setting and costumes are the perfect ambience for the mystery.

Nikki Deloach and Andrew Walker are a great duo.

"Goldie and "Tom" are clever individually and together; with a spark but without being cloying.

They aren't moonstruck teens in love. They behave like adults, which is a rare and welcome attribute in a Hallmark movie. The emphasis is on the mystery, and I love that.

Their sidekicks are equally fun to watch and always add something extra to these movies. They don't feel like afterthoughts.

I can't wait for the next one.

Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery (2015 TV Movie)

Plum Awful

[2/10 · 11 April 2024]

I have a penchant for bad Christmas movies. You know the type... so bad, they're good. This yawn-fest didn't even live up to that low standard.

Hallmark can almost always gloss over a bad script in a Christmas movie, and sometimes even bad acting, by decorating the whole thing up and making it look like Christmas exploded all over it. Bright, shiny decorations abound, right? No, not here. It was dreary, and you had to look hard for any sighting of Christmas. That was the real mystery here. Where's Christmas? Just because there's a glimpse of a tree and a lot of yammering about plum pudding doesn't cut it.

If anyone didn't guess the murderer right away, they must have had this on in the background while they cleaned their house and paid the bills. The murderer is obvious and blatantly eccentric.

As Christmas movies go, this felt like the day after Christmas - depressing. As mysteries go, it seemed almost stupid on purpose.

Mystery on Mistletoe Lane (2023 TV Movie)

No Mystery Here...

[2/10 · 11 April 2024]

Any redeeming qualities the story may have had were wildly overshadowed by the bad acting - stilted and unnatural. The lead actress has an irritating voice. Worse than that, however, is the fact that her acting is so unnatural. She doesn't provide a genuine moment in the whole movie.

If this passes for decent acting, people need to raise their standards.

Victor Webster is likeable, but he has certainly been better in other movies. You're only as good as the people around you, after all.

I think it's a stretch to call this a mystery. It's more light treasure hunt. Just because it's Christmas doesn't mean you can't have something with a little more meat to it.

No mystery here. Just Hallmark phoning it in once more.

Groundswell (2022 TV Movie)

Hawaii Should Sue

[1/10 · 8 April 2024]

A strange movie that didn't take advantage of a wonderful setting, Hawaii. This could have been filmed anywhere with an ocean. There were little to no signs of actual Hawaiian culture in this. Even the leading man was Hispanic. There were very few Asian or Polynesian actors or extras. The casting, as mentioned above, was from the moon. The current boyfriend seemed to be twice the main character's age; and with a borderline Cockney accent mixed with mumbling, it was hard to know what he was saying.

Lacey Chabert's acting choices are a puzzle. Her character wasn't excited over any of the great things happening for her. Frankly, she seemed medicated.

The plot...well, pick one. A food competition, learning to surf, overcoming fears, finding love, an ex-boyfriend who was deceitful and dishonest throughout suddenly turns understanding and Zen.

Hallmark has produced some real garbage in the past, but this takes the cake. It squandered Hawaii and Chabert and left us with a mess where the ending was a puzzle. Were they going to live in Hawaii? Were they dividing their time between Atlanta and Hawaii? Were they all going to go get acting and writing lessons? We'll never know, and, frankly, I don't care.

One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2024 TV Movie)

One Bad Apple a Day... Keeps the Viewer Away

[2/10 · 8 April 2024]

This was rotten to the core. And I don't think it was because Mike hit the road or because they've added a new character. Nope. It's just a bad script. Disjointed. Characters thrown in as filler. A plot line that wasn't cohesive. Bad storytelling. Awkward and rushed dialogue. Twenty minutes of the movie had gone by before any crime happened. That's bad pacing.

I've seen it before with other shows. The star suddenly decides they can write or produce. Said show then goes down the tubes.

A few other issues to ponder: Why oh why did they take an over-the-top character like Delores, the mom, and put it all on steroids? She started out loopy; now she's a loopy detective. Who needs that. Have fedora, will investigate.

Victor Webster's character was under-used. His character needed to be more developed in the script. And as he works as the D. A., I can't imagine how they will use him a lot in the future. He won't be involved in a lot of investigation.

I could go on, but the bottom line was this was all over the place. The sisters had no purpose in the plot. The bakery is under-used and under-decorated. Actors that can't enunciate; the students were the worst.

This had the feel of desperation. They threw in everything and the kitchen sink.

Crimes of Fashion: Killer Clutch (2024 TV Movie)

Fashion Faux Pas

[2/10 · 16 March 2024]

How do you say I can't understand a word you're saying in French?

That pretty much sums up this movie for me. To be perfectly fair, it may have been a good movie, but I got so lost in the heavy accents that following the plot became laborious. I usually do very well with understanding various accents, but there was something amiss with this particular movie.

This is a movie made for a mostly-American audience, and I've seen numerous others with the same opinion.

Gilles Marini has been perfectly understandable in several other shows, but even his accent made this difficult.

I also found the acting/chemistry to be lacking. Visually, it was lovely to see the clothes and Paris; but there is more to a movie than cinematography.

I was looking forward to this, but C'est la vie...

Elsbeth (2024– )

Great Right Out of the Gate

[10/10 · 1 March 2024]

I was hesitant about this show; because Elsbeth, in my mind wasn't a main character. A little of her goes a long way, I thought. I was wrong.

Carrie Preston was just the right mix of zany with the ability to pull back a bit and let the story take center stage. I thought she and the show were excellent.

The supporting actors were seamless and it felt like they all were in a mid-season groove even with the first episode

I enjoyed every minute of the premiere. I love the mix of comedy and drama. I was involved in the crime part of it but laughed a few times, too.

Well-written, entertaining, with a bit of a bounce. I can't wait to see the next episode.

Gilded Newport Mysteries: Murder at the Breakers (2024 TV Movie)

Very Poorly Done

[1/10 · 3 February 2024]

The actress playing the main character is completely out of her element. She is supposed to be a young woman in 1895, but vocally she is coming at you from 2024. While the other characters are attempting a more proper accent and intonation, she is mumbling and using vocal fry to end her sentences.

And that's just the beginning of this mess.

African American characters are also being utilized like it's 2024. There would not have been a black, female assistant to the medical examiner in 1895. Add to that, the ball at the beginning of the movie consisted of a large group of African Americans. This is the same part of the country that didn't even allow Jewish people in their country clubs in the early '70s. It's absurd. At least stay true to history.

His and Her Christmas (2005 TV Movie)

Lots of Mumbling

[2/10 · 18 December 2023]

Would have been a cute-ish Christmas movie, but Dina Meyer mumbles and swallows her words to the point of not being understood. I missed a lot of what she was saying. It's maddening. It's not an audio issue, because everyone else can be heard and understood. She also poses and is completely unnatural.

Story-wise, the column her character writes is idiocy. There's nothing in it that would interest the masses. "Spend time with your family at Christmas. Do simple things together." Really? Is that the best the writers could come up with?

And the whole world worried about coupling up their single friends is getting really old.

I'll end on a nice note. David Sutcliffe is good.