Monday Movie Review Drop - including The Blessing Bracelet, A Paris Proposal, Country Roads Christmas and more!

Today, I thought I would share 10 random movie reviews for films that I've either watched recently or just ones I've been thinking about sharing my thoughts on for awhile. Whether you share my perspective or you have a different view, I would love to get your take in comments below.

Six of the movies are rom-com's/dramas and the other four are from Christmas. Here goes...


MOVIE REVIEWS:



The Blessing Bracelet – Wow! This movie is such an amazing story about faith, family, and forgiveness! Truly a beautiful, inspirational, Easter movie – that even mentions our Risen Savior in the Easter Sunday church service! Dawn is a single mother struggling to pay the bills after her husband leaves her. Even though she’s about to lose her home, she’s determined to find a way to make her payments, taking a second job. It’s empowering to watch Dawn hold on to her faith, even when things look grim. She prays for an answer and it’s exciting to watch a miracle slowly unfold. There’s an important turning point in Dawn’s faith when she learns the important lesson that God never moved, she did. When she returns to church, Dawn is surrounded by an incredibly supportive community of church family. I loved seeing Dawn’s close relationship with her sweet son and parents, and meeting Ben at the veterinarian office where she works, is really cute! It was an absolute joy to watch Dawn overcome so much hardship by turning to God, counting her blessings, and trusting in her faith. The Blessing Bracelet is such a powerful, uplifting film! I was truly blessed and encouraged by watching it, and I know it will have a ripple effect; The Blessing Bracelet will surely have an inspiring, spiritual impact on all who see it! ~Net


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A Paris Proposal – First, I really like Alexa PenaVega and her stance on her Christian faith, and I always adore when she and her husband, Carlos, act together, but when she (or he) is paired with someone else, I tend to feel uneasy. And, yeah, I felt the same, sometimes, with A Paris Proposal. The story, itself, was captivating, as the two co-workers, who don’t like each other, are paired together for an advertising job for a diamond company in Paris. Due to a miscommunication, the company execs believe Anna Bowman (Alexa PenaVega) and her business partner, Sebastian Laurent (Nicholas Bishop), are married. They don’t correct the mistake and begin lying to their client and eventually, Sebastian’s family, as well. As the two spend more time together, an attraction develops. Is it simply Paris or true love? Overall, this is an entertaining movie with a lot of heart and emotion. Some may not like all the deceiving these characters do to cover up their lie. I understand that. At several points in the film Anna and Sebastian are conflicted with their choice to pretend they are a couple. Also, the towel scene that Alicia mentioned in her review (see here), I totally agree, it is a bit unnerving, at first, until you realize that she’s just copying Sebastian’s carefree spirit of leaving the towel on the bathroom floor. I was so glad Alicia had warned us ahead of time on that. It really helped to alleviate my shock. The City of Paris is, of course, a beautiful setting for the film and after some difficult conflict near the end that almost seems insurmountable; there is a lovely happy ending for this Hallmark Loveuary film. ~Net


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Welcome to Valentine – For me, this was an okay movie; it’s kind of cute and definitely, family-friendly. When Olivia loses her job and apartment, her best friend Tess talks her into driving across the country with her cousin, George. Even though Olivia and George disagree a lot, I could still sense a growing attraction between them as the miles brought them closer to their destination. It was great to see how warm and welcoming Olivia’s family was, and I thought her young nephew was really sweet. Overall, this is not my all-time favorite or anything, but it’s still a nice, lighthearted watch, especially around Valentine’s Day. ~Net


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The English Estate – This movie is rather intriguing. A young woman, Nora, loses her job, but in twist of fate, she inherits an English Estate when her great-uncle Edmond passes away and leaves it all to her, the only living relative. Nora is eager to sell the house and property, get back to the states, and open her architect business, but the only thing standing in her way, Jamie, her uncle’s accountant, who has a shared interest in the estate. Sparks fly between the two and it’s fascinating to watch Nora, who is young, alone, and a novice to caring for an estate, learn new things while acclimating herself to the town and the delightful people who live there, including Mary, who owns the local restaurant/pub and the townspeople who often gather there. Overall, it’s a sweet, family-friendly romantic comedy. ~Net


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Love in the Maldives – If you enjoy the beach, ocean, swimming with the fishes sort of lifestyle, then you’ll probably enjoy this movie. Love in the Maldives is mostly family-friendly; however, the lead characters, Rae (Jocelyn Hudon) and Jared (Jake Manley), who are married in real-life, often wear beachwear throughout the movie. When he’s coming out of the water, Jared is often seen shirtless with long trunks, and Rae, when she’s at the beach, wears one piece swimsuits and bikinis. There’s also a scene when Rae gets a massage and her back is shown on the massage table. I thought the movie started off a little cheesy, but it picked up for me when Rae befriended Debra, a sweet widower who was new to vacationing alone. This added a heartfelt touch to the story that I really enjoyed. When Rae insists on searching for the long-lost Wandering Shipwreck treasure and Jared indulges her curiosity, the movie gave me a definite vibe of two previous Hallmark movies, Pearl in Paradise and Chasing Waterfalls. This movie was not a keeper for me, but the romantic attraction between Rae and Jared is very sweet; it felt easy and authentic. ~Net


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A Winning Team – Oh my… this one was, well, difficult to watch. I totally agree with Joyce, there was little if no romantic chemistry between Emily (Nadia Hatta) and Coach Ian (Kristoffer Polaha). In the first hour or so Emily is pushy, arrogant, and basically pretty much unlikeable. Winning and being number one is all that matters to her. In the second hour she makes a complete turn-around; she’s more focused on family, the kids she’s coaching, and having fun. They attempt to make her character more warm and fuzzy. I don’t know, others may like it, but it just didn’t grab me. Some of the acting was stiff, at times, and the romance seemed forced. This is not a movie I would choose to watch again. I typically love Kristoffer Polaha’s movies, but this one missed the goal for me. (pun intended!) ~Net


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A Recipe for Joy – The characters all seemed very nice and the movie is completely wholesome and family-friendly, however I’m with Jane’s review 100% on this one… it was hard to make it through this Christmas movie. Carly Hayes (Erin Agostino) wants to host her own TV show, but first she must have an exclusive interview with Chef Grant Quinn (Dillon Casey). Carly’s boss wants the story to be a tell-all sort of expose, but Carly is uncomfortable with that and does the interview her own way. Grant is stubborn about doing press and gives Carly basically nothing without pushback until he needs financial backing and relents to the interview since it will benefit him. The best part about the movie is Grant’s adorable daughter, Tess (played by Maya Misaljevic). She is a natural, delightful young actress, and I hope to see her in more movie projects. In fact, she also starred with Erin Agostino and Cory Lee (who is also in A Recipe for Joy) in the UPtv movie, A Christmas Masquerade. In the end, A Recipe for Joy has a happy ending, but (inserting a little restaurant humor here) it’s not a dish I’d order again. ~Net


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Undercover Holiday – This movie was, well, really bad, to be honest. I couldn’t see any chemistry or attraction between Jaylen, a newly famous Mexican-American pop singer, and her bodyguard, Matt, played by Stephen Huszar. Their “relationship,” if that’s what you call it, felt forced and way too fast. Sure, he was enjoying being around her family during the holidays, since he doesn’t have one, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were in love. Even when they pretended to be boyfriend and girlfriend, Jaylen and Matt didn’t seem to have much connection, other than him being paid to protect her from any danger and giving her some encouraging advice. At one point in the movie, Jaylen’s family held a live nativity in front of their home and Matt portrayed one of the Wise Men who brought frankincense to baby Jesus. He made a huge point of saying how ridiculous he felt in the costume. Overall, this movie just wasn’t for me. Spoiler Alert: At the end, Jaylen and Matt have a disagreement, but he returns dressed as the Wise Man, who followed the star, in this case he said it was a Pop Star (so cheesy) and he brings her a gift. I thought this scene was ridiculous and laughable, but also sacrilegious the way they twisted the Holy Nativity story. I’m sure they thought it would be cute, but for me, it was lame and shameful. This is definitely a movie I will never watch again, once was more than enough. ~Net


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Country Roads Christmas – This movie was a nice addition to the Christmas movies available to stream through Fox Nation. My subscription with them was about to run out, so I decided to give this movie a watch before it was gone. Overall, the movie is family friendly, about a grown-up daughter, Skye, who loses her job and becomes her father’s (Harris) road manager. Harris is a well-known country singer whose been singing on the road for many years; he left his wife and daughter years ago, so there are old emotional wounds that need healing. I loved hearing them sing the John Denver classic, “Country Roads,” and Skye sings beautifully throughout the movie. She was played by Lanie McAuley, who you may remember from Chesapeake Shores, The Song to my Heart, or Write Before Christmas. It was also nice to see Lauren Holly (The Town That Came A-Courtin', Call Me Mrs. Miracle, A Country Wedding) portray Skye’s mother and the wife Harris had left years ago. Along the road, there is forgiveness, redemption, and love… so it’s definitely worth the trip! ~Net


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Christmas at the Greenbrier – This movie is a Fox Nation original film. It is family friendly and sweet and follows a familiar Christmas movie theme. A young widowed mother, Abby, lives and works at the Greenbrier luxury resort in her hometown in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, while raising her son, Carter. Her ex, Ben, who is a famous football player, returns home to visit family during the holidays. Abby is hesitant to get close to Ben again, but her son, Carter, instantly idolizes him and invites Ben to join their family during various holiday events at the Greenbrier, which of course, ignites a spark between Abby and Ben again. This is a sweet movie that all ages can enjoy. I loved seeing actor, Robert Shepherd, portray Abby’s father. You may recognize him from the hearing aid commercial for Hearing Assist. He’s the one who says, “What?” when his son says “I love you, dad.” And then he quickly adds, “I heard you the first time; I just wanted to hear it again.” I just love that commercial; it always makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Much like the commercial, Christmas at the Greenbrier is a lighthearted, sweet and simple movie that leaves you feeling hopeful and good inside. ~Net

Well, that's it! Please be sure to share your thoughts in comments.

Blessings, Net