Name of Movie: Always Amore
Date Watched: 1/22/25
Noteable Hallmark Actors: Tyler Hines and Autumn Reeser
Brief Outline: Elizabeth is trying to keep her late husband’s restaurant afloat but is facing trouble and possible sale. A restaurant consultant, Ben, is hired to help. Elizabeth is resistant at first, but eventually starts to accept his help and falls in love with him.
Notes on Movie:
Always Amore was not a very interesting or creative Hallmark movie. The chef competition made no sense, why would winning help save the restaurant? It made even less sense that after losing the competition, the attention they received on social media would be enough buzz to save the restaurant.
Thoughts on Trope: This movie had my least favorite type of misunderstanding. Overhearing part of a conversation and immediately leaving town without trying to clear things up isn’t realistic or creative. Especially when Elizabeth was clearly saying she didn’t need Ben around anymore to help with the restaurant, not that she didn’t personally want him around.
Story Silliness: I didn’t like how it was obvious the Chef should make his own dishes but no one wanted to be the one to say it, the restaurant is failing – talk to each other.
They tried to create some chemistry with the ukulele storyline but it seemed so out of nowhere and forced. There was no chemistry with these characters or storyline. It also made no sense that he didn’t tell her until the end that his fiancé had died, this is something they could have bonded over.
Major Hallmark Fail: The Italian actors and accents were not good. There was a lot of exposition in this movie that felt forced and unnatural. Especially to explain the ukulele storyline which could have been kept out of the movie entirely.
Things I liked: I liked the Monday night family dinner and found them all horrified at her breaking the spaghetti noodles funny but that was the most enjoyable 3 minutes of the movie.
Overall: This Hallmark movie was a big miss for me.
SCORING:
Trope – 3 – Consultation to help with failing business, always some friction at first. This trope can work but this felt very rushed and I have seen it done better.
Likeable Characters/Chemistry between Leads – 2 – Tyler Hines can be hit or miss for me, as Ben he was a miss. Autumn Reeser is a great Hallmark actress but her characters are always so similar. She felt particularly weak in this one and didn’t really have much of a personality. I found the Chef and mother to be likeable (despite the terrible Italian accents)
Misunderstanding – 1 – Bad! Overhearing part of a conversation and immediately leaving town is my least favorite and the weakest trope
Side Story – 2 – Side story was about the Chef at the restaurant not wanting to cook his own dishes and instead keep honoring the dead husband’s dishes. It felt like this could have been solved years ago but no one in this restaurant talks to each other
Leans into the Season – 1 – There wasn’t really a season that was mentioned or focused on. I think this can be a little more difficult in the January movies but there was nothing overly interesting visually overall.
Overall Score – 1.8/5
See here for more information on how I score Hallmark movies.
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