My cable went out just before Christmas weekend 2022. During GAF's Christmas in July I was pleased to find this movie I had missed as a result of the outage.
I thought this was an interesting story even if possibly contrived. I can't think of another with a premise like this. One of the leads stumbles on a half finished painting made and abandoned by the other lead and then he submits it to a public showing. I say contrived because Charlotte's initial response seemed totally unnatural to me in more than one way. Regardless, this launches the story of these two spending time together and developing a relationship. Jillian Murray and Joseph Cannata have good chemistry. Murray makes an appealing Charlotte despite Charlotte's lack of any assertiveness. She does have a quiet sweetness.
This movie has a feel that I've come to associate with GAF. For one thing, it is very family friendly where the only controversy is in what it doesn't do. Another is simple sets and acting that just isn't top shelf. At times it seems forced. Likewise the dialogue which lacks any witty banter. And not much comedy for what should be a rom/com. The background music occasionally calls too much attention to itself which should be, well, background. In short, this movie feels unpolished.
And as another reviewer focused on, the mother stands out and not in a good way. She's not quite as overbearing as some but with some of the same results perhaps more so because one of those effects is to sap the life out of her daughter, at least for a while.
The story briefly stalls before the highly predictable and well telegraphed conflict, which is also a common conflict. I feel like the conflict was a bit early which was probably rushed forward due to the mid-story slowdown. The result is that the resolution is dragged out again stalling the pacing.
Overall I think the story was too simple. I mentioned pacing which I think was due to that. There were several potential subplots that weren't explored and could have given the movie a fuller feeling.
Sidenote: I'm not sure what there is about it but the portrait at the end was eye-catching.
I thought this was an interesting story even if possibly contrived. I can't think of another with a premise like this. One of the leads stumbles on a half finished painting made and abandoned by the other lead and then he submits it to a public showing. I say contrived because Charlotte's initial response seemed totally unnatural to me in more than one way. Regardless, this launches the story of these two spending time together and developing a relationship. Jillian Murray and Joseph Cannata have good chemistry. Murray makes an appealing Charlotte despite Charlotte's lack of any assertiveness. She does have a quiet sweetness.
This movie has a feel that I've come to associate with GAF. For one thing, it is very family friendly where the only controversy is in what it doesn't do. Another is simple sets and acting that just isn't top shelf. At times it seems forced. Likewise the dialogue which lacks any witty banter. And not much comedy for what should be a rom/com. The background music occasionally calls too much attention to itself which should be, well, background. In short, this movie feels unpolished.
And as another reviewer focused on, the mother stands out and not in a good way. She's not quite as overbearing as some but with some of the same results perhaps more so because one of those effects is to sap the life out of her daughter, at least for a while.
The story briefly stalls before the highly predictable and well telegraphed conflict, which is also a common conflict. I feel like the conflict was a bit early which was probably rushed forward due to the mid-story slowdown. The result is that the resolution is dragged out again stalling the pacing.
Overall I think the story was too simple. I mentioned pacing which I think was due to that. There were several potential subplots that weren't explored and could have given the movie a fuller feeling.
Sidenote: I'm not sure what there is about it but the portrait at the end was eye-catching.