Movie #3240 ................."Shifting Gears" (Hallmark)

 Movie #3240 "Shifting Gears" (Hallmark)  the girl took some getting used to, but after a while I appreciate her authenticity and her quietness --- the guy is one of my favorites in the Hallmark kingdom,  The movie was interesting because it dealt with parts of the car and fixing them up and refurbishing them, and I never knew went into all that, so this movie introduced me to some of the "tricks of the trade."  What made it even better for me is that a woman is going competing with the guys --- so female power at work here.  I'd give it 4.5 out of 5.

"SHIFTING GEARS"    2024      2 hours      Hallmark

After female mechanic Jess reluctantly agrees to participate join a car restoration  show, she is shocked to learn that her ex-boyfriend, Luke, is her main competitor .   Will sparks reignite?.  

Director:  Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe

Writer:  Matt Marx

Actors:  Tyler Hynes, Katherine Barrell, Kristin Booth

Movie #3239 ........................."Snoopy Present: Welcome Home, Franklin (Disney)

 Movie #3239 "Welcome Home, Franklin" (Disney)  It is so cool to see Schultz characters continue on with his legacy.  This one is about Franklin, and it is wonderful for kids to watch, full of life lessons and real kids, even though they are animated.  I'd give it a 4 out of 5.

"SNOOPY PRESENTS:  WELCOME HOME, FRANKLIN"  Disney  2024      39 mins

Newcomer Franklin has trouble fitting in with the Peanuts gang.  When he learns about a soap box derby race, he's sure that winning the race will also mean winning over new friends.

Director:  Raymond S. Persi

Writers:  Charles M. Schultz, Robb Armstrong, Scott Montgomery

Actors:  Caleb Bellavance, Etienne Kellici, Isabella Leo 

Movie #3238 ........................."Love and Jane" (Hallmark)

 Movie #3238 "Love and Jane" (Hallmark)  this film has problems with pacy --- start and stop, start and stop --- never got rolling until the very end, which I also disliked because the announcement of their love was inn front of a room full of book clubbers --- ugh!  Then, we had fantasy to the deal with Jane Austen, yewpt the one and only, dressed in full regalia, popping in and out of the gal's life --- I was never really sure why she had to stop the pacing, as well --- except I guess we were suppose to believe that the female lead, who loves Austen, would get advice from her.........and not settle for all the themes in her books?  Somehow the writer got to the end and had the actors proclaim that you can't live your life from just studying books and their themes ---- I think.  This had a confusing story, in my opinion, and I usually like the combo of the guy and girl in this one.  and I Love Jane Austen.  You can skip this one, I think.  I'd give it a 3.

"LOVE AND JANE"     Hallmark 2024    1 hour and 24 mins.

Lily, a hopeless romantic and literary enthusiast, is surprised when her wish to talk to her favorite author comes true and Jane Austen herself appears in her life.

Director  David Weaver

Writer:  David Weaver

Actors:  Allison Sweeney, Benjamin Ayres

Movie #3237 ........................."Just Add Romance" (Hallmark)

 Movie #3237 "Just Add Romance" (Hallmark)  Lame and corny and not high drama, but I liked it because it went against the idea that people misunderstanding what they overhear or they assume the worst are the only ways to get across the high point --- when these two competitors in a cooking challenge find out something disturbing about each other, they confront it and work it out --- As a result, everyone is equal, everyone wins and viewed feels good about that and learns the lesson to confront their problem! I'd give it 4.5 out of 5.

"JUST ADD ROMANCE"    Hallmark      2019   1 hour and 23 mins.

When Carly and Jason, exact opposites, compete on a famed cooking show for the chance at their own restaurant, what will matter more --- their culinary careers or their potential love?

Director:  Terry Ingram

Writer:  Karen Berger

Actors:  Meghann Fahy, Luke Macfarlane, Theresa Wong

Movie #3236 ........................."Stranded in Paradise" (Hallmark)

 Movie #3236 "Stranded in Paradise" (Hallmark)   - Puerto Rico is the beautiful location in this one --- beautiful to look at, but so are the guy and girl here (James Denton is from "Desperate Housewives")  Stage business is just walking around the place and occasionally dancing --- but then a hurricane occurs and it shows what people in this location to prep for and live through it.  I give it a 3 out of 5.

"STRANDED IN PARADISE"     Hallmark      1 hour and 26 mins

When a driven HR exec loses her high=-powered job, she travels to Puerto Rico in an attempt to save her career at a business conference.  But as the trip quickly becomes a disaster and a hurricane shuts down the whole island, she meets a handsome world traveler who gives her a new perspective on finding passion in life and love.

Director:  Bert Kish

Writers:  Lori Copeland, Tracy Anderson

Actors:  Vanessa Marcil, James Denton, Cindy Pickett

Movie #3235 ........................."Amazing Winter Romance" (Hallmark)

 Movie #3235 "Amazing Winter Romance" (Hallmark)  Cute, young and energetic couple, and they had lots of fun with this maze, constructed out of snow/ice.  Various views of it and used in most of the scenes of the film.  I think viewers would enjoy the location, as well.  I did, and I would give this a 4.

"AMAZING WINTER ROMANCE"    Hallmark 1 hour and 22 mins

When journalist Julia goes back home to find inspiration, she discovers her childhood friend has built a giant snow maze which prompts her to find her way to true love.

Director:  Jason Bourque

Writers:  Barbara Kymlicka, Ray Galletti

Actors:  Jessy Schram, Marshall Williams, Zoe Fish

Movie #3234........................."The Birthday Wish" (Hallmark)

 Movie #3234 "The Birthday Wish" (Hallmark)  Cute couple here, the stage business is filming commercials, so those two things made it a fun watch --- then, throw in some magic:  At her big birthday party, when she blows out the candles, her wish (to see the future) comes true --- She interprets it as a dream, but when things start to come true in her dream, she starts to think otherwise.....cute ending.  I give it 4 out of 5.

"THE BIRTHDAY WISH"   HALLMARK   2017   1 HOUR AND 25 MINS

On her birthday, a woman who desperately wants her boyfriend to propose to her, wishes for the opportunity to see into the future, with surprising results.

Director:  Peter DeLuise

Writer:  Julie Sherman Wolfe

Actors:  Jessy Schram, Luke Macfarlane, Marcus Rosner

Movie #3233 ........................."Romance in the Air" (Hallmark)

 Movie #3233 "Romance in the Air" (Hallmark)   - story was typical except for the stage business/job HE has, which is hot air ballooning --- And the location, Lake Tahoe, is filmed very beautifully, but the acting is stilted at times, and the script lacks vitality, so I'd give this one a 3.

"ROMANCE IN THE AIR"    Hallmark  2020   1 hour and 21 mins

Eden gets a forced leave from her ad agency job.  At her parents' cabin at Lake Tahoe, she meets her childhood friend.  He's single and has a hot air balloon business in need of advertising.

Director:  Brian Brough

Writer:  Brittany Wiscombe

Actors:  Cindy Busby, Torrance Coombs, Sashleigha Hightower

Movie #3232 ........................."Pearl in Paradise" (Hallmark)

 Movie #3232 "Pearl in Paradise "(Hallmark)  The guy and girl in this one are authentic and funny but their adventure was a bit absurd and involved..... the theme was strong, though -- faith is the dream; eperiencing makes it real.  So they hunt for some big pearl --- she's a photographer trying to find the legendary best shot -- he's a novelist trying to solve a story --- they both come at the searching in different ways and with different "tools" but it works --- the arguments they present  while searching for the pearl are plausible, but how they find the pearl  seems quite implausible.  But I'd give it a 4.

"PEARL IN PARADISE"      Hallmark     2018    1 hour and 24 mins

An adventurous photographer and a less-than-adventurous novelist search for a mysterious pearl in the Paradise of Fiji.

Director:  Gary Yates

Writers:  Christine Conradt, Jennifer Notas Shapiro

Actors:  Jill Wagner, Kristoffer Polaha, Rob Kipa-Williams

Movie #3231 ........................."An American in Austen" (Hallmark)

 Movie #3231 "An American in Austen" (Hallmark)  This was a long time ago that I saw this, but I remember LOVING IT, but then I am a huge AUSTEN fan so I got all the humor, the story line and the references to Austen that were sprinkled throughout this love story.  It's a fantasy but a really cool idea to prove to this young woman that men can compare to Mr. Darcy!  Hewre's an irony - I notice the actress's name is Eliza Bennet --- she played Harriet, a distant relative of Elizabeth Bennett in the film.  It's funny her real (or stage name) is a Bennett, too.  I give this a 5 out of 5.

"Harriet, who thinks that no real man compares to Mr. Darcy, is transported into Pride and Prejudice and gets an unexpected chance to find out.  

Director:  Clare Niederpruem

Writer:  Cameron Johann

Actors:  Eliza Bennett, Nicolas Bishop, Neil Barlow

Movie #3230........................."Perfect Days" (theater, oscar-nominated International Film, 2024)

 Movie #3230 "Perfect Days" (theater, oscar-nominated international Film, 2024  This film won the Cannes award for best actor , and it is nominated for Best Foreign Film.  It's a film rich in imagery and quietude.  In the first 30 minutes, the actor says nothing.  We are introduced to what a typical day in his life is --- very little conflict.  He's just a hard worker who reads and sleeps and eats dinner at his favorite places, and waters plants.  The only conflict in the first hour is provided from the guy he works with cleaning toilets --- the guy keeps borrowing money from the main character in order to impress a girl.  Then about the first hour mark, a young girl is on his doorstep --- his niece who has run away from home.  He calls his sister, and in a very quiet but powerful scene, sister shows up in a limousine to pick up her daughter, and the main guy sends her on his way and we find out brother and sister have been estranged, but hang by end of the scene..... He plays oldies music in his cassette player in his car and when there's no conflict, they are perfect days....but one doesn't appreciate the perfect days if we didn't have a bit of conflict in ur lives.  Not a new theme, but works well in this quiet film.  But I would just give it 3.5 out of 5.  I feel like I learned A LOT about cleaning toilets, but wanted a stronger theme.

"Perfect Days"     2023      PG      2 hours and 4 mins

Hirayama cleans public toilets in Tokyo, lives his life in simplicity and daily tranquility.  Some encounters also lead him to reflect on himself.

Director:  Wim Wenders

Writers:  Wim Wenders, Takuma Takasaki

Actors:  Koji Yakusho, Tokio Emoto

PS  -- not shows beautifully the landscape of Tokyo, with the sky tree, where he lives/

Movie #3229 ........................."Bobi Wine: the People's President" (Disney)

 Movie #3229 "Bobi Wine: the People's President" (Disney)  A musician in Uganda tries to beat out the autocrat in power for 5 decades.  He ends up not making it --- and put into prison at home and at an actual prison for long amounts of time.  Makes the viewer values Democracy a lot more!  I give it 3.8 out of 5.

"BOBI WINE:  THE PEOPLE'S PRESIDENT" (Disney) 1 hour and 53 mins , PG-13   2022

Follows Ugandan opposition leader, activist and music star Bobi Wine. He used his music to fight the regime led by Yoweri Museveni, the person who led the country for 35 years.

Directors:  Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp

Actors:  Barbie Kyagulanyi, Bobi Wine