Love's Portrait

Love's Portrait is a 1st rate romance. I was instantly drawn to it when I read that it takes place in Ireland. I love young romance and I knew I'd enjoy seeing the scenery of Ireland. I was right.

The cinematography was outstanding.

All the performers are wonderful. You'll fall in love with the two leads. At each moment of the story, I eagerly awaited the next. There were many very enjoyable funny moments, but the romantic elements were the best.

Art lovers will enjoy that element of the plot. You'll definitely be cheering for things to work out well for the lead couple. They're really charming. I'm not ashamed to say that this 70-year-old guy cried tears of joy at the end.

Love's Portrait is delightful. I can't think of a better way to spend two hours. I'd watch it again right now.

This is a fairly standard quest story with some romantic fantasy thrown in. The quest is for the source and history of the painting. Lily and William spend much of the movie on a leisurely paced quest. I found it a little too leisurely.

There is a bit of obsession with a cross between finding/having a soulmate and destiny. That's the romantic fantasy part because the story seems to prove one or the other or both.

I had trouble finding much chemistry between Aubrey Reynolds and Richard McWilliams. McWilliams was restrained and William's secret (which we learn very early) keeps an invisible barrier between them.

The boss, Michelle, was over the top annoying in the beginning but quieted down at least a little after that.

This movie was mostly a miss for me. It wasn't because of Aubrey Reynolds who held her own and her looks are attractive and mysterious at the same time. My main impression of the movie is a slow shallow story which wasn't helped by the obsession with the idea of a soulmate.

But I think many, especially less right brained people than me, will love this.

I need to say up front that you have to accept the fantasy portion of the film where William dreams of Lily throughout his life and paints her, including birth marks. Once you you get past that, the movie is beautiful. The acting is exceptional. The scenery of western Ireland was beautiful. The Irish characters were wonderful with their friendliness, accents and sayings. I've been to Ireland four times and found the characters to be real. The only thing unusual was the lack of Gaelic.

Overall, a beautiful movie where the main characters find love and heal from previous loses. Highly recommend.

Museum curator Lily (Aubrey Reynolds) has not dated since the death of her husband. Her boss is desperate to get her back out there. The whole work family gets involved when the museum gets a portrait that looks exactly like her. They have no artist name but they do have Ireland. Postal siblings William Murphy (Richard McWilliams) and Saoirse Murphy (Kathryn McKiernan) gives her the name J. O'Brien which is not that helpful. They know the truth, but is keeping it from her.

I like the gentleness of the journey. The Irish countryside helps a lot. I would like William to have more energy. I get that his subterfuge does leave him a bit hesitant. It doesn't explain after his reveal. She really shouldn't make it all the way back to America. If he doesn't stop her at the airport, he doesn't deserve her. That's the one thing I would change.

In this Hallmark movie we first see a group of ladies who work at a museum. They receive a painting of a lovely lady and it looks exactly, not similar, yes exactly like one of the curators. They are all puzzled and dumbfounded when she tells the others that she has never posed for such a portrait. Is it really "Love's Portrait?"

They manage to find the shipping receipt and figure out it came from Ireland. So the lady who is boss really tries to convince her that it might be fate, she should go to Ireland and figure it out. At first very reluctant, when she relents her boss presents her with the travel itinerary, airline tickets and all.

Fortunately most of the movie is filmed in Ireland with Irish actors. They make excellent use of the beautiful Irish scenery.

Though, I must remark that they cheat a bit. Hallmark movies are noted for waiting until one minute from the end for what my wife and I call "The Hallmark Kiss." Well there is one, right at one minute from the end, but that is the second one. The first one comes at about 15 minutes before the end.

Oh, well, we will forgive them. It is a suitably entertaining movie. At home, streaming on Peacock.