A Novel Romance (2015)

Brilliant and touching

Absolutely the worst movie.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

I found the intrinsic denouement, i.e. Liam's/Gabriel August's revealing his true identity, came WAY TOO LATE, and when it came, it turned into utter disappointment. Gabriel August had several opportunities and may I say weakly and meekly eschewed each of them -- and when he finally did reveal himself, it turned into a disaster. The viewer had been looking forward to the resolution for quite some time, and when it finally did occur, it was not a joyous moment of surprise but a painful-to-watch disintegration, a falling apart of the plot. I imagine the screenwriter, a Hanz Wasserburger, struggled to write a script that could hold suspense for 1 hr 26 min. The movie held my suspense for quite a while, but one can only be patient that long, AND THEN one is rewarded with disappointment.

This is a silly formulaic rom-com. Amy Acker plays Sophie the same way she plays every role; hesitant speech, fixed, semi-smile regardless of the line she's delivering and heavenward gaze with her eyes, rolled around at every opportunity as if someone told her she has expressive eyes, so she works them at every opportunity. The plot is thin: book critic unknowingly falls in love with the author of a book she's slammed. Sophie is supposed to be a writer and literary critic, in line for a New York magazine job, yet acts like an unsophisticated bumpkin, agog being seated in First Class, taking a selfie while riding in a limo "because her friends will never believe it!" Oh please. Liam is supposedly a very successful author of best-sellers but he's wowed by this small town, cardigan wearing woman who stalks him when he meets with a client and talks with "other women." I give it 3 stars only because the other cast members are OK (even if there IS a token, wise black man friend!) and the scenery is lovely. Shot in wonderfully scenic British Columbia, I'm always puzzled why the writers just don't set the films there; why must BC always "fill in " for US locations? Are we so parochial that we won't watch a movie set outside the US? Sheeesh.

First off, I have to say that this is one of my favorite Hallmark Channel movies ever, in my top 5. Amy Acker was very vulnerable in her character, but not unbelievable.Amy plays a young woman who meets a man on a flight and they become attracted to each other. She does not know that he is a bestselling author, while he has to listen to her unknowingly criticize his latest novel. She has been burned by public humiliation in a bad relationship before and his parents died at an early age, so they both are wary of trust and she vows never to date a famous person again.They date and fall in love, and in particular her three friends help her see that she shouldn't judge him based on someone else. Of course, she finds out who he really is in a very public way and she ends things. Even when he apologizes and it is clear she loves him, she refuses to be in the public eye.But in true Hallmark fashion, with a little help from her friends and his agent, they reunite and have their happy ending. This was a true pleasure to watch and a very believable portrayal of what a real relationship could be like. No doubt, it is well worth watching.

This is typical Hallmark fanfare where a guy who lost his famous parents in a plane crash turns to writing novels. He meets a girl who just broke up with someone famous and since no one knows that he is the famous writer, he doesn't say anything to her about his identity.The picture becomes devoted to his inability to tell her or something occurring as he is about to. With the typical Hallmark trait, she leaves him after she finally finds out, but what is true with all Hallmark films, love conquers all.Our heroine Amy Acker is appealing but she suffers from almost a childish voice which may become annoying as the film goes on. Charles S. Dutton, the philosophic like owner of the restaurant, plays a widower in the movie and relates everything to his dead wife.Anyone notice that the guy who owned the book company is a almost-look alike for our president and the girl wanting an autograph closely resembles Chelsea Clinton.