Cupid, Inc.

After reading the reviews, I nearly didn't bother - but I'm so glad I did. This is a quirky, beautiful story focusing on an over 40 (we need more of these movies) but with lots of younger adults too for balance. The lead character is a bit bogged down with being in what she feels is the wrong career and has nothing else in life, but when she starts to take an interest in her often younger colleagues and their interests/dreams, she finally sees the bigger picture. It has the feel of a Christmas movie but for Valentine's, so that's cool for me as I only watch holiday movies in December! There's nothing nasty, just misfortunate complications before the happy ending - and fun, unexpected final scene!

This is a wonderful, sweet, playful Hallmark movie about romance and comedy.

The host of a talk show is funny in a natural sense and not slapstick. Cupid comes along to help her find romance and the true meaning of love. Different relationships intertwine throughout the movie with twists and turns that are enjoyable and unexpected. I really enjoyed the acting and plot of the movie from beginning to end.

The only reason I rated this movie a one is because of the continual music in the background, which was really in the foreground, and louder than the speaking parts. The score is the typical Hallmark "bing-bong" music you hear over and over in so many of their movies. It is like listening to a concert and a lecture at the same time, making it difficult to hear every word clearly. There should be no music when the actors are speaking, unless it is a crucial, moving moment, but not continually throughout the regular speaking scenes. This loud continual music is so annoying. My brother says he just turns off their movies now when the music never stops. If you can't hear it all, then you can't rate it well. Watch some of the classic movies. No music in the general talking scenes.

The bassoons are usually the comedians of the orchestra and they out in force in this Valentine Day comedy playing versions of orchestral standards. Anyway, about the movie: The story, such as it is, concerns Eve Lovett (get it?), talk show hostess, and her efforts to save her show and find her own true love. She is in emotional lockdown, but....

I don't know how many times I've written almost identical words about various Hallmark Channel comedies, but it really doesn't matter. When the basic story is good, what matters is how you tell it. The people who made this decided to run it as a broad farce with ridiculous details and pulled out all visual stops, including the way they change Jamie Kennedy's outfits and the way that Joely Fisher as Eve is willing to mug it up. The script has a goodly number of funny situations as Miss Fisher and her crack team foul up bit after bit.

Visually it's a little too polite for my taste; there are many opportunities to insert a little straight slapstick into the proceedings that are passed up. That, however, is my taste and I am sure that for those who like to think that love is never ridiculous this will be a real winner. Even by my standards, it's pretty good.

So what, it's a corny and cheesy love story, but I like it and it should have rated higher because of that. The end was very funny. The only request I would have made if I had my choice and my way, this would have viewed for me during the Valentine's season instead of in April when it's time for spring love stories. I like to match up the seasons to make it more appropriate for viewing. Just my take though! There's plenty of time for more though. Next time, I'll be more seasonal with my movie choices. I've been doing pretty good with matching up my viewings with the seasons, but this movie was a little off season. But I just considered it a normal love story viewing and that made it OK. It was a really cute movie. And better late than never. There was a super cute old fashioned car at the end that I loved and the humor was awesome as well. I don't know about the other rater who said she couldn't hear the talking that much because of the silly background music, I didn't have too much trouble hearing them. Maybe it was her television or audio source that wasn't good quality. I, too can't appreciate background music that overpowers the acting's voices and I won't give it a good rating because of that either, but this movie was 'bearable listening' coming from my audio source (television).

Well over half the movie is setting up one embarrassing situation after another for Eve. If that's your kind of humor, take 10 stars. It's not mine.

There are some tiny clues that build through the movie as to where the real romance is going to be, but to have confidence in those clues it helps to know how these movies work and that at least one half of the real romance will be the star of the movie. Along with embarrassing herself, Eve was moving from one couple to another trying to set them up through most of the movie. All this makes the plot unusual at least to some degree.

Many rom/coms have the lead couple start with antagonism. There was some antagonism between the two in this movie, but mostly it was just a working relationship with two people who had conflicting goals.

Finally about 2/3rd through the fact that there might be a relationship starts to come together and then boom, almost immediately the conflict. Other than one meal, there was no relationship building.

So it's a different approach and many people will find it funny. I had a hard time getting through it.