The only word to really sum up this movie is trite.
The massive use of green screens (and poorly at that) and cardboard sets doesn't help either. Overacting, check.
Really nothing positive about it except the female lead who is more cute than talented.
I completely agree.
-Her and Victor's relationship was completely unbelievable. There is NO way they were engaged and "in love", only to grow tired and bored the 1st day on a vacation in Italy. After about 10 minutes, I couldn't help but wonder how she would, just now, be learning that their relationship was doomed.
-Amanda and the guy who played Charlie are just bad bad bad at acting in this movie. Perhaps it is the romance part...perhaps it is the writing...maybe the directing. But it didn't work. They had no chemistry and I didn't buy their relationship at all. Even the beginning when they were "fighting" all the time was horribly acted and forced.
-Claire just happening to notice a guy on the side of a road in an vineyard, and it just happens to be the last day of their quest, and that guy just happens to be the love of her life's grandson? Come on...
Ug. This move did suck, or was trite.
I hate IMDB's Signature policy...
Instead of starting a new thread that basically says the same thing, I will agree.
The only thing that makes this movie worth watching are the Italian vistas.
The storyline, while maybe showing some potential, ends up rather drab, with a bunch of contrived and predictable dialogue.
Okay, so it's a romantic comedy, what do you expect?
Some movies do it better than others though. And this one isn't in that class.
Nothing much to believe about the characters either.
I agree that the relationship between the lead actress and the restaurateur is weak. There is nothing to suggest that these two would have ever had enough in common to like each other, much less fall in love. Huge disconnect between them from the very beginning. I know that's kind of how it's supposed to be, but there is no effort at all placed on suggesting that there was anything between them to begin with. It's more effective when you at least feel like there is some care between them.
In addition, that sense of looming unrequited love between the lead actress and the young British grandson isn't believable either. You never really see any development in that relationship between the characters that leads you to think that will work either. It's predictable. You know they'll end up together. But you wonder why. No real chemistry there either. As she's driving away, you don't feel sad for her or the guy. If they decide to be together, they know where to find each other. There's not mystery. Or permanency about their leaving each other's side at that point of the movie. No emotional impact there at all.
In fact, as they're traveling the countryside, you never really even think that Redgrave's character cares all THAT much about finding the guy. 'That's not him? Oh, well. Bummer.' But she doesn't really seem all that crushed. Then all of a sudden she sees the young stud grandson and his foxy dad. And voila? She and the man she parted from 50 years ago see each other across the landscape, and love at second sight? Sorry. Not believable.
Overall. Pretty banal dialogue. Predictable (but not even remotely hidden or disguised in the way that some movies will at least try to achieve). Contrived. Characters who are neither likable nor believable.
I know that romantic comedies are like that. There's not much depth. A lot of predictability. But some movies at least keep some charm, along with likable characters, to keep you interested until the obvious is revealed. This one doesn't really achieve that.
I think it's a great premise, and with the right dialogue, acting, and character/story development there really could be some depth here. Would still be a rather predictable romantic comedy, but at least there would be something to hold your attention.