Mlle_Chouette Reviews

Love & Jane (2024 TV Movie)

Tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me

[5/10 · 12 February 2024]

I love Jane Austen, I love romcoms, even Hallmark predictable ones, but this one was too boring to enjoy. While the original idea was interesting and promising, the execution was poorly made.

The main character was acting too childish for a person in their 40s. Like, I might expect that self-centered, daydreaming behaviour from someone in their 20s, maybe early 30s, but when you're a full grown up person, being arrogant and judgemental is not cute or funny. All the quirkiness seemed just cringeworthy. They "work" story is also not clear since it seemed like much fuss with the questionable result but it's normal for Hallmark people to have jobs where they don't understand what they're doing.

I feel like "Jane" character brought pretty much nothing to the plot. She was just there, but didn't inspire or do anything.

As for the chemistry - there was little of it. Probably because the characters had at most only one conversation longer than 5 minutes. The main guy tried to make the spark, but it was too difficult because the leading lady just treated him so badly every time. Still he was after her like a wet puppy. I see that they tried to make him the Darcy-esque figure, but it was probably better in paper.

Also, what is wrong with the Americans that tend to shorten everything, saying "P&P", "Pride", "Sense" etc instead of actual book names.

Love's Greek to Me (2023 TV Movie)

That is not how greeks are

[4/10 · 16 June 2023]

Everyone in this movie sooo needs therapy. Like run, girl, run. Or see you soon on reddit making "AITA for wanting some privacy and deciding for myself".

I mean, they keep gaslighting and accusing the girl for keeping a distance when actually all she does is adapting to her boyfriend's family, him and all. "Oh you don't want to have your life changed in a moment, then maybe you don't love me at all". They have ZERO chemistry together and he doesn't even try. And him and his family are constantly like "well, you don't have any traditions so you'll have to follow a million of our", "uuu I can't say no to my mummy". Whaaaat. That made me so angry and sad for her.

Love's Portrait (2022 TV Movie)

A beautiful fairytale

[8/10 · 3 February 2023]

A truly beautiful movie in stunning Ireland. It was done so softly, so touching, unlike many Hallmark movies that just go bluntly. Don't get me wrong, it's still a predictable romance with a touch of mystery, but we all love it for this, of course, otherwise you wouldn't be here.

I must say that while the main actor was a bit rough and stiff (understandable from the context of the movie though), the lead actress is purely angelic and so so beautiful. She was so sweet and caring, like a fairy of an elf. I would be disappointed if Peter Jackson doesn't call her for the next movie. The secondary character of Saorsie was nice too with a lovely message.

All in all, it's a nice movie to spend an evening with, absolutely recommend.

Menorah in the Middle (2022)

Just sooooo boring and slow

[4/10 · 14 November 2022]

I didn't expect much and yet I was disappointed. It could have been done so so much better but alas. There are not many jewish sappy cheap-romance movies so every one of it is watched upon and expected to be at least at the lever of the Hallmark Christmas ones. So it was even more sadder that this one was so boring and slow. The idea is nice, and with just a little more enthusiasm it could be much funnier but I just could't last more than half an hour (and I usually like these movies).

The actors are many "relative of..." which makes me thinking that they did it as a favour to someone or were blackmailed into doing so.

Enola Holmes 2 (2022)

Could be nice but alas

[6/10 · 10 November 2022]

I read all the books and loved it. There, Enola was escaping her brothers outsmarting them by being a master of disguise and using the methods they're unaware of being male and lacking female presence (the fan and flower languages, the gossip in the female society etc).

The movie Enola lacks it all. She's pictured as a "strong female heroine" but can't even solve a case without her brother or her love interest. By the was, the book Enola was a breath of a fresh air by not having a love interest, but here she's "so independent and empowered" that she can't stop thinking about a boy and is foolish around him.

If we dissociate the movies it not thaaaat bad, it's a fun family movie, not an oscars-worthy masterpiece. I still think that Henry Cavill is a bad choice for Sherlock here because Sherlock is supposed to be smart, not a jock. He looks more like a Superman in a suit than a Sherlock Holmes. The rest of the cast is alright, and I find interesting some plot-twisting decisions. But of course all, that the authors rub us in the face, could be done more subtle and delicate just by FOLLOWING THE BOOK. What we have feels like an insult to the original Enola but fine, I guess Netflix thinks their viewers are to stupid if it's not spoon-fed.

Millonario sin amor (2021 TV Movie)

Poor people = good, rich people = bad

[7/10 · 21 December 2021]

It's a nice romcom with a storyline that was used so many times: rich guy, poor girl, he pretends to be poor blah blah. But we don't watch it for its originality, of course. For a low-budget movie it was decent, the actors were nice and even if they overplayed we can forgive it. The plot was somewhat funny but besides sympathising the lead character, the second half of the movie he was too pushy and toxic. I also didn't like the ending, it felt manipulative and could be done better.

All in all, it's an ok movie to spend a boring evening.

A Match Made at Christmas (2021)

So many things are wrong about this movie...

[2/10 · 7 December 2021]

There was zero connection between the leads and too many red flags already. It really was painful to watch so I had to accelerate the speed of the movie and skip some parts so it ends quicker. The girl was nice but the main character was just too rude and wooden. Like, come on, he didn't have to be super nice to everyone, but just some basic politeness and not being a douchebag, please.

Also it's suspicious to see so many 10* reviews, especially considering that almost for all of these commenters it's an only review hmmmm

All in all, would NOT recommend and if you think the main male character's attitude is ok and romantic I'v got some bad news for you (and better run it by your psychologist)

As Gouda as it Gets (2020 TV Movie)

Cheesy but gouda (ba-dum-tsss)

[8/10 · 3 June 2021]

It's a tradicional hallmark-style romance movie but it's quite pleasing to watch. Of course, the story is predictable as ever, but it was really enjoyable. The actors are cute and the chemistry between the leads is nice, the supporting characters didn't bring much to the story besides the antagonist but still I really liked this one. Or was it because of all the cheese-food?...

Hearts Down Under (2020)

Hallmark cheesy romcom but make it Australian

[5/10 · 24 May 2021]

A typical Hallmark movie but even more cheesy than normal and with lots and lots of plot holes. As another reviewer said "Busby is awful, she plays the same character in all of her films". There is absolutely zero chemistry between the leads (and it feels like we missed something because all of the sudden there's love when just moments ago the characters hated each other). The plot is obviously predictable from the first minutes. The argument is lousy and the "final conflict" part is just too rushed and just strange. The cooking, ocean and the Australians are nice though. Really liked the girl playing Beth.

I normally like Hallmark romances but this one was too boring and weird (like, all was too unbelievable). Would not recommend nor watch again.

Picture Perfect Royal Christmas (2020 TV Movie)

Another Royal Christmas story

[7/10 · 14 December 2020]

Yes, it's another "Prince meets an ordinary girl" movie where we all know how it will end but that's exactly why we watch it. Grab your hot cocoa, take your knitted blanket and enjoy this Christmas romance fantasy. The story is sweet, the acting was good (as far as I can tell with dubbing in French as it was the only option found). The movie budget was low as it's a made-for-tv-movie but still it was nice and lovely. Not much can be said about this type of movies, so the lack of noticeably irritating things is already good

Deliver by Christmas (2020 TV Movie)

Didn't quite deliver

[6/10 · 1 November 2020]

While the premise was interesting and the actors were likeable there were also some moments that felt meh. The boy actor was too plain and almost didn't have any emotions and was always seemed sad. His "dad" kinda too (so maybe that was genetical lol). The lead actress was great and charming. All these details would have been forgiven if the ending was good, but it seemed bad-written and rushed into the "romantic Christmas movie ending" trope

Enola Holmes (2020)

An entertaining movie but not much more than that

[7/10 · 23 September 2020]

As someone who read and loved the original books, I was quite excited about this movie. And I can't say that I was disappointed, it's still entertaining and interesting to watch, but (hate to say it) the book was better.

What I liked: the breaking of the forth wall was a really nice way to present the thoughts of Enola; Millie Bobby Brown's acting; the way it's shot; the intrigue and the mystery (although it could be done a bit better): some plot changes were really clever

What I didn't like: Enola is a strong woman herself, she doesn't need a romance or the feminists as a subplot. I mean from the books you get the idea given the context and the facts, but it's subtle and you still get the idea. Also some of the changes that were made for it are the same that repulsed some of the people in the comment section. And some of the things are a bit annoying for a period movie. Also, as someone else said in the comments: Henry Cavill looks like a Superman in a suit instead of Sherlock Holmes.

All in all, don't let all the 1* reviews push you away from it. I don't know how one can imagine a movie about a girl like this, like you see in a trailer, not to be feminist and expect it to be centered about Sherlock. It's a fun and nice flick, based on books for teenagers, not for middle-aged men. It still has action, mystery, wit.

7/10*

Sincerely, Yours, Truly (2020 TV Movie)

Sincerely, nice movie

[8/10 · 6 July 2020]

It's a cute feel-good cheesy movie to spend a lazy evening. Pretty cliche and predictive but still it's sweet. At least it's not about the struggling business. The leads are nice and the plot is even a bit mysterious.

An OK Hallmark-style movie, recommended if you're into it (like me)

Feel the Beat (2020)

Just do it

[8/10 · 21 June 2020]

This is a nice feel-good inspiring movie for the whole family.

Yes, it's another one of those "A former star helps misfits do *something* and they rock it" type of movie, but as if anyone cares, we're here to spend an evening eating ice-cream and trying to relax, nobody expects it to be an Oscar-material. And the movie just does its job as goof as possible. The kids are adorable and acting pretty good, the plot is cheesy and predictable but still cute, funny and not Hallmark-level predictable. The lead actress is gorgeous doing a great job performing a rather complex and unlikable character.

Really enjoyed watching it, actually almost didn't stop it to look at the phone, so would recommend it!

The Heist of the Century (2020)

Enjoyable, funny, captivating

[10/10 · 24 January 2020]

The film is based on real events that were made to be turned into a movie. It totally captivates your attention, and the whole film flies by without boring you, not even for a second. Beautifully shot, well written, with some jokes nicely placed and some action moments that make you sympathize with the robbers, and with some of the best actors in the country it becomes a trully great film. I would recommend it to everyone, no matter how familiar they are with the events. It has all the factors to be considered a solid good movie 10/10

Christmas in Paris (2019 TV Movie)

Hey! I think these 10/10 revirews are fake

[3/10 · 12 December 2019]

I saw so many 10* reviews and was a bit suspicious since it was not a brilliant masterpiece (then I did some digging and found out that most of the reviews are the only ones these users ever made. Coincidence? I don't think so).

Ok, so we all know these cheesy Hallmark-ish movies, and we still watch them and that's fine. This one tries to be like this too but also touching some deeper drama moments, like the loss of a parent both literally and metaphorically. But here's a thing when I try to think what this movie is about, I don't know the answer. The main characters meet, kiss the next day, fly to Paris the next one, then have an argument and then he proposes to her. Like, come on, seriously? And still I have no idea what's the main argument of the whole movie, since most of the time they just walk and talk how they want people to see them for who they are. This gets a bit more interesting only in the last half an hour when we get a plot twist. But we see the solution in the next ten minutes.

And there's almost zero Christmas in this movie. Like yah, there is some but it could be any holiday, actually and it's not that visible for a movie with the word "Christmas" in it's name. All in all: it was rather boring and dull and the handsome lead characters had no chemistry at all.

The only plus: they used real French-speaking actors who even spoke some French between themselves, so that's nice.

A Christmas Recipe for Romance (2019 TV Movie)

This recipe was too plain

[6/10 · 27 November 2019]

I love Christmas romance movies. I love cooking movies. This one had the premise to have it all but was just okay-ish. Of course, no-one expects an excellent and original plot, but a bit more work would make it much better. Everything seemed "too soon": all the problems got solved the next minute, the tention didn't last long and the leads didn't even have time to get the chemistry going. Nevertheles it's not a bad movie, it's quite nice and the main actors were really cute. I would recommend watching this movie after a few glasses of wine, so all the details would become insignificant.

A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish (2019 Video)

Another Cinderella movie

[7/10 · 17 October 2019]

So yeah, it's another one of modern teen-Cinderella stories but this time not only with singing and dancing, but also with Christmas involved. Of course it's predictable and full of cliches, but what do you expect? It's pleasant, light and generally ok, even though the leads don't have much screentime together and the chemistry is so so, some of the secondary characters are overacting (as always in Cinderella movies). But well, if know what you're getting yourself into, or you're a minor then you might like it, and there's nothing wrong with it.

Love at Second Sight (2019)

Charming, French and sweet

[10/10 · 1 October 2019]

It has everything a perfect rom-com needs and it workd for it. Yes, there are clishes, and the plot is not sooo original, but it's captivating, believeable and pretty good. The actors are good-looking and the chemistry is fine. And it has Paris background as a bonus.

If you're in need of a light romance movie for an evening then this one is just what you need!

Can You Keep a Secret? (2019)

Don't get why so many low reviews

[9/10 · 17 September 2019]

It's a nice romcom with attractive actors and predictable script, and I see tothing wrornd with it. The acting and chemistry are good, the plot doesn't have many holes and the movie itself is enjoyable and fun. I don't understand why so many people gave it 1*, did they expect to see something super serious and deep from a light romcom? It's definitelly better than 5* it has now, so I give it a 9/10 to try and fix the situation a bit.

DJ Cinderella (2019)

A pretty good Cinderella movie

[8/10 · 8 September 2019]

I doubted if I will like the movie after seeing such a low rating, but it was actually good. Even though some of the characters were over-acting, the characters were generally believeables and the story as intriguing as it could be (when we all know how it will end, obviously) . I watched it with subtitles, so can't say anything about English dubbing.

I would place this movie second after "another Cindirella Story" in the list of "modern teenage remakes". A very strong 8/10

Another Tango (2018)

Come on, Marvista, we know you can do better than this

[5/10 · 3 August 2019]

I normally like hallmark-ish movies and marvista's tv romance movies. But even though this one just looked too plain. The acting was not believeable, some of the actors looked pretty amateur plus the secondary characters were so badly written, it looked like the screenwriter just used one word to descrbe them. The problems and motivations were not serious enough, as if the same lazy screenwriter just thought "ok, we need this according to the plot, so let's choose the most obvious idea" so we're just left wondering "what? why?". The general plot idea was not bad, but it could have been so much more

Pride & Prejudice: Atlanta (2019 TV Movie)

Could be done much better

[4/10 · 17 June 2019]

I watched all the versions of Pride and Prejudice and honestly I didn't like the changes made from original book. I mean I liked some of them, like Lizzie being an activist and Jane being a widow, but from the beginning Darcy is like "a good one" so Lizzie's looks like the one overjudging him. Other changes just make the necessary problems simple like Lydia's storyline (with Wickham being a nice guy!) or Charlotte marrying Collins because she really liked him.. I mean even he seems kinda ok and I didn't understand why everyone (Lizzie) hated him so much. I think the movie would me much more entertaining if the original characters would stay the same. Also because of the similar/same hairstyles if was a bit difficult to distinguish male characters and some of the female ones.

A Man for Every Month (2017 TV Movie)

Adorkable

[8/10 · 9 March 2019]

I honestly liked the movie, it's quirky, sweet and cute, the plot is interesting and the actors are pleasant and believeable. Yes, it's predictable and the idea is not thaaat original, but hello, it's a TV rom com we're watching, not an art-house masterpiece. The additional storylines were also entertaining. Was surprised to see so low rating and reviews, it is definitely not worse that any Hallmark ones. If you're just looking for a sweet romance movie to spend some time with - this one is a go.

Coin Heist (2017)

The Breakfast Club Heist

[7/10 · 4 August 2018]

The film itself is not that bad to have such a low rating. I mean, yeah, it's not a masterpiece and we can guess the ending from the very beginning, but do you really expect it to be something extraonrdinary? The original idea was great, although the plot has faults, it's naive and unreal, sure, but it's still an enjoyable movie. Also the characters didn't have the developpement they needed. Like they show the premise for it but then the ending doesn't show any consequences. In my opinion it was a bit too short and rushed. All in all, if you want a real deep suspence drama then I don't recommend it. But if you just want to see an OK film without much moral, drama and serousness, then it may suit very well.