Movie #2175 ........................."Emily in Paris " Season 3 (Netflix)

 "Movie #2175 "Emily in Paris" - Season 3 (Netflix)  Still enjoying this piece of fluff, and this season was better than the 2nd one, in my opinion.  Emily has no boyfriend but a job, then a boyfriend but no job, then no boyfriend and a job..... well, you get the picture, lots of turns and twists in the road to job security and romance.  The last episode of the season was one of the best yet --- a nice twist that should take them swimmingly into Season 4 --- at least we hope so.  The costumes, the music, the Paris background all take center stage with us so we overlook some of the acting at times, but it's fun to watch her get into and out of troubles  And the French just shaking their heads at her!.  Bring on Season 4.  4.5 out of 5 for this one.

"EMILY IN PARIS"     Netflix   started in 2020  , 30 minute episodes

A young American woman from the Midwest is hired by a marketing firm in Paris to provide them with an American perspective on things.

Creator:  Darren Star

ActorsL  Lily Collins, Mindy Chen, Lucas Bravo

MOVIE #2174 ........................."The 27- Hour Day" (Hallmark)

 Movie #2174 "The 27 -Hour Day" (Hallmark)  Andrew Walker + Autumn Reeser -- I had to watch this pairing, and I'm glad I did.  It was a 4, but with a lame ending... However, the two were very natural and fun to watch, esp. playing with a baby pig (stage business) --- he was trying to teach her (and several other clients to this get away place) how to relax and take their time --- she was a list maker (I know all about that life!)  A good and valid theme in this hurried day and age.

"THE 27- HOUR DAY"  2021    1 hour and 25 mins

An entrepreneur takes a break from her wellness empire for some much-needed work-life balance but realizes it won't be easy.  Will a relaxing retreat and new romance change her life, forever?

Director:  David Winning

Writers:  Deborah Jones, Audrey Shulman

Actors:  Autumn Reeser, Andrew W. Walker

Movie #2173 ........................."A Tail of Love " (Hallmark)

Movie #2173 "A   Tail of Love" (Hallmark)  "Tail" suggests this is a dog story, and you'd be right!  This is one of those stories with a  big CEO's attempt  to procure property next door that happens to be a sanctuary for dogs and one that was thought to be shared ownership with the original people.  But they just have to find that proof of ownership!  otherwise the CEO will send all the people and dogs packing and bulldoze the area for a big motel, or something.  The lead girl runs the dog sanctuary, and the guy is the former owner of the property, now wanting to sell to the CEO.  A somewhat complicated story, but it fizzles out a bit at the end, and the search for your place in life and in your future comes out as the stronger theme --- both of them wondering what to do next, and with whom...... The dogs were adorable and so was the couple --- it's just that they had very little stage business to do, so it just doggedly (excuse the pun) moved on to the end.  I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

" A TAIL OF LOVE"    2022      1 hour and 27 mins

When Bella discovers that funding for her dog rescue centre is discontinued, she turns to JR, a soldier who quickly becomes attached to one of her rescues, a German Shepherd named Indie.   

Director:  Leif Bristow

Writers:  Kim Saltarski, Richard Beattie, Agnes Bristow

Actors:  Brittany Bristow, Chris McNally

Movie #2172 ........................."My Boyfriend's Back: Wedding March 5 '(hallmark)

 Movie #2172 "My Boyfriend's Back:  Wedding March 5" (hallmark --- what a dumb title....and there are many films entitled "My boyfriend's Back" so one wonders why this one was titled that, too.  The story is kind of a goofy idea, too..... what if you are new at wedding planning and on your first job, the best man is your ex-boyfriend?  hmmm.  The guy is Tyler Hynes, so he's pretty strong here, but the story is a bit of a mess..... the dialogue, ironically, that he has to say is basically the same as in the previous movie I just reviewed above, so not much original here.... but the film does tackle the subject of love the second time around..... if you believe in that or are interested in that subject , you might like this one.  Otherwise, you don't need to see this one.  3

"MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK:  WEDDING MARCH 5"      HALLMARK    2019    1 hr, 24 mins

Annalise starts her own wedding planning company.  Everything hangs on the first wedding.  Her ex pops up as best man.  Problems?

Director:  Mike Rohl

Writer:  Kim Beyer-Johnson

Actors:  Cindy Busby, Tyler Hynes

Movie #2171 ........................."It Was Always You" (Hallmark)

 Movie #2171 "It Was Always You"  (hallmark)  When I put this one  on, I immediately discovered that I had seen most of this before, but I guess I forgot to write a blog on it, so I re-watched it.  It has two of my favorites (Erin Krakow and Tyler Hynes) , and they very smoothly spend the hour and one-half really doing nothing but talking a lot and going through the motions of planning her wedding to his brother --- sounds like a goofy idea, but it worked.  I wanted to keep watching just to see how their budding romance would affect the brother/brother relationship -- but they handled that smoothly, too, mostly by making the fiance so 'anal" about everything --- The brother she ends up with knew her growing up and knew she wasn't always like that, but she became that way when in the relationship with the anal brother.  So I guess that's how it worked --- that and good chemistry between two very natural actors to work with --- they convey quite well that shared time and memories and that instant magic of being in the arms of your soulmate is true love, and it doesn't have to take a long time necessarily to click.  As a result, the film is  a good rom-com, and oftentimes these Hallmark films don't reach that potential --- i.e. something is lacking.   I thought it worked well here.  I'd give it 4.5 out of 5 (the anal brother is a bit cartoonish, but that's the one downside)

"IT WAS ALWAYS YOU"       Hallmark     2021     1 hour, 26 mins

Elizabeth's engagement plans are thrown into disarray when her fiancé's brother returns home.  His unexpected influence prompts Elizabeth to question her life decisions.

Director:  Michael Robison

Writers:  Kathy Kloves, Marian Thurm

Actors:  Erin Krakow, Tyler Hynes

Movie #2170 ........................."Hearts of Winter" (Hallmark)

 Movie #2170 "Hearts of Winter" (Hallmark)  Part of my weaning process from Hallmark Christmas movies is to briefly catch up on Hallmark movies I haven't seen before that aren't christmassy, and this was one of them.  I like Jill Wagner, but I think Victor Webster is oftentimes a bit stiff, but she and the lovely daughter soften him much in this film, to make the film a bit better than average.  I like to watch the designing practice, but I  acknowledge that it is used way too much for the stage business in a Hallmark film. That being said, it is always fun to watch the gradual changeover for the nondeisgner (in this case the grieving father of a perky young girl) change his mind as to the importance of the whole decorating idea --- esp. when it seems to be in the dream house of his dead wife.  The one complaint I have is that  the conflict was too quick and in the last 15 minutes, which leaves little time to be sincere and believable to me, but it was a fun watch for most of the time.  3.5 out of 5.

"HEARTS OF WINTER"      2020      1 hour and 23 minutes       Hallmark

An interior designer brings new life to the house of a widower and his daughter and finds love in the process.

Director:  Allan Harmon

Writers:  Alison Spuck McNeeley, Casie Tabanou

Actors:  Jill Wagner, Victor Webster, Lauren McNamara

Movie #2169 ........................."Four Good Days" (netflix dvd)

Movie #2169 "Four Good Days" (Netflix DVD)  We saw a movie at the Chicago film  fest with Ethan Hawke,  and at the showing  the director Rodriguez spoke to us.  We enjoyed that film, and I thought I would look up another film that he had directed, and saw that Netflix had this one, so I ordered it.  I'm glad I did.  I can't say it was fun to watch, but it really gives a very real look at a dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship, mostly due to daughter's drug addiction that has spanned many years ---the viewer picks it up when both have been struggling with this for several years --- in the opening, the mother (Glenn Close) hesitates to even answer the door, when her daughter, with barely any teeth left due to the drugs tries to desperately  have her mother take her in --- you get the impression this has happened again, and again, and again.  i.e. the mother has taken her in, the daughter has gone through some 15 detoxing sessions, and then she stays with the mom until something gives....either  the mother kicks her out  or the daughter flees.  This time after sleeping overnight in the cold on the mother's doorstep, she takes her in............again.  And you can tell this weighs heavily on her relationship with her husband, who is not the father to this girl (Mila Kunis).  And the rest of the movie deals with, what might be or might not be, the very last time mother will try to save her drug -addicted daughter..... The acting is solid, and it's a tragic story of destructive love --- that the ones whom you love and are loved by you, are those who can destroy your lives.  The film brings up questions like:  when do you quit?  When does parenting end or does it ever?  There's a brief scene where a young woman who obviously doesn't understand the world of addiction suggests to Kunis to just "stop doing it" --- oh, if it were that easy.  The film shows you that it isn't.  I'd give it a 4, an uncomfortable but important story to watch.

"FOUR GOOD DAYS"     netflix, dvd      R     1 hr and 40 mins

A mother helps her daughter work through four crucial days of recovery from substance abuse.

Director:  Rodrigo Garcia

Writers:  Eli Saslow, Rodrigo Garcia, Amanda Wendler

Actors:  Mila Kunis, Glenn Close