Over the Moon in Love

Hallmark must've really wanted to work with Jessica Lowndes, letting her star, write and produce this film. She doesn't quite go full on Dennis Waterman and sing the theme tune, but this is definitely all about her. Unfortunately it's also a mess of a film, that stretches believability to its absolute limits, which for a Hallmark film is really saying something. It's not 'Unleashing Mr Darcy', but it's up there with lousy Hallmark films.

Have always found Wes Brown very likeable and watchable, he has been in his fair share of misfires but he has more often than not been a redeeming quality in them. Am however not a fan of Jessica Lowndes, another Hallmark regular but one of my least favourite leading ladies, whose acting range strikes me as rather limited with more of the same characters and not much emotional variety. Hallmark did do some good films in 2019 ('Love and Sunshine'). 'Over the Moon in Love' for me wasn't one of them. Actually consider it one of the weakest and of the 2019 Fall Harvest films (a very low number this year) it's probably the worst. Due to, as others have said, it not feeling like a Fall Harvest film, am actually not sure what seasonal blocking to place it under because there isn't much of a feel of any of them in my view. Maybe very vaguely Summer Nights, but am putting emphasis on very vaguely. Brown works very hard in making his character work and does somehow manage to give an amiable and subtly charming performance, which couldn't have been easy. Which says a lot about him as an actor. The scenery is also very nice, Hallmark nearly always delivered in this regard. As is the music, which didn't feel like it was intruding and isn't too constant. The vocal talents of Lowndes and Brown can be heard and they are both pretty good singers. However, the rest of the acting was poor. Especially Lowndes, who again plays a character that is basically a variation of the type of role she typically plays and does so with rather one-note expression and no nuance. Also found her character annoying and not interesting in the least. 'Over the Moon in Love' even manages to waste Miranda Frigon, a more than capable actress in a role not right for her and she tries too hard in it. Didn't find myself invested in any of the characters, Brown's had his moments but even then he is not that well developed. There is no chemistry between Lowndes and Brown, which is too forced to begin with and then becomes as damp as a squib. Excepting the scenery, 'Over the Moon in Love' has a rushed look. Even the Hallmark films made during the pandemic looked more professional. The editing especially has a choppy look and the opening is like high school level filming. The script is awkward and goes well overboard on the cheese factor, so many lines that made me cringe and the backing and forthing feels overdone. The story is wafer thin and is predictable and contrived when there is signs of any, and strains credibility to the absolute limit and beyond. Especially in the final third, which is thin in the conflict, feels contrived and then ends too tidily. In conclusion, very weak. 3/10.