I can't imagine who directed this dreadful caper. I suppose they failed to notice how bad the acting was and how quickly some of the supporting actors spoke and garbled their words in the beginning. I had to use cc to understand half of what the lead actor's assistant said. But since most of the dialogue was ill conceived it might have been just as well.
Simple mistakes like the flowers Peyton Hilliard (Ansley Gordon) picked up in the exterior shot that didn't match the paltry bouquet she entered the kitchen with, awkward blocking, bad camera angles and clumsy insert shots, poor acting, no atmosphere and lack of any chemistry between Peyton and Archer Brooks (Jonathan Stoddard) led me to think it was the director's first rodeo. It was like a community theatre production with seriously lacking Art and Costume Departments.
At first I was pleased with the transformation of Archer's personality after he ate her pie. He was so wooden at first I almost gave up. His acting was still sub par but at least he had a spark afterwards. Then he went way too far to the point of stupidity ... all but dancing through the park chasing butterflies. Cringe worthy. He had a disconcerting glassy gaze whenever he stared at her. I wasn't sure if it was his attempt to be sexy.
I wondered if it was a lack of budget that tied the two lead actresses to a sparse kitchen set. I was curious who was baking and serving while these two boxed a few pies and chatted. At one point her assistant, Riley, commented that Peyton could leave to run an errand and she'd find someone to "cover the counter". Were they the only two in the shop? She seemed able to hand deliver their pies while her partner remained in the back. Neither was actually baking in the unrealistically pristine kitchen nor serving their non-existent customers. At one point she had a tray with less newly-baked cookies than someone would make at home. Later, she struggled to take a small tray of specially requested buns for Riley out of an empty industrial oven. They had tables outside and couches inside so one would assume they had sit-down customers. There were just none during the filming until the very last scene.
We always saw Peyton studying a recipe card or having one in her hand when we assume she intended to bake. I guess she had trouble remembering her Grandmother's recipes. Production ought to have taught her to ride a wobbly bike with high handlebars before expecting her to ride one in all the outdoor scenes.
The final scene was ridiculous. I just couldn't believe I was still watching.
The premise was good but that's all I can say. The 2 stars are for Ansley Gordon who cheerfully acted her way through this disaster. She was pretty and perky and acted really naturally. I hope to see more of her in the future.
Simple mistakes like the flowers Peyton Hilliard (Ansley Gordon) picked up in the exterior shot that didn't match the paltry bouquet she entered the kitchen with, awkward blocking, bad camera angles and clumsy insert shots, poor acting, no atmosphere and lack of any chemistry between Peyton and Archer Brooks (Jonathan Stoddard) led me to think it was the director's first rodeo. It was like a community theatre production with seriously lacking Art and Costume Departments.
At first I was pleased with the transformation of Archer's personality after he ate her pie. He was so wooden at first I almost gave up. His acting was still sub par but at least he had a spark afterwards. Then he went way too far to the point of stupidity ... all but dancing through the park chasing butterflies. Cringe worthy. He had a disconcerting glassy gaze whenever he stared at her. I wasn't sure if it was his attempt to be sexy.
I wondered if it was a lack of budget that tied the two lead actresses to a sparse kitchen set. I was curious who was baking and serving while these two boxed a few pies and chatted. At one point her assistant, Riley, commented that Peyton could leave to run an errand and she'd find someone to "cover the counter". Were they the only two in the shop? She seemed able to hand deliver their pies while her partner remained in the back. Neither was actually baking in the unrealistically pristine kitchen nor serving their non-existent customers. At one point she had a tray with less newly-baked cookies than someone would make at home. Later, she struggled to take a small tray of specially requested buns for Riley out of an empty industrial oven. They had tables outside and couches inside so one would assume they had sit-down customers. There were just none during the filming until the very last scene.
We always saw Peyton studying a recipe card or having one in her hand when we assume she intended to bake. I guess she had trouble remembering her Grandmother's recipes. Production ought to have taught her to ride a wobbly bike with high handlebars before expecting her to ride one in all the outdoor scenes.
The final scene was ridiculous. I just couldn't believe I was still watching.
The premise was good but that's all I can say. The 2 stars are for Ansley Gordon who cheerfully acted her way through this disaster. She was pretty and perky and acted really naturally. I hope to see more of her in the future.
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