Sweeter Than Chocolate

"Sweeter Than Chocolate" should be re-titled "Depressing as hell." Ok, I watch Hallmark movies as an escape and to enjoy the romance and love stories. This one sounded good. There's a lot of melancholy and 30 minutes before this movie ends, the main character gets unexpected news that makes her sad and from there, her day keeps getting worse and worse and even worse. And, sure, being Hallmark everything is all good again by the end. But I personally did not want to ride along with the upset, negativity, tears, drama and fears. It was too much. I watched until the end because I had to see it get better. I like the light-hearted and fun ones or the sweet, romantic, tender ones. And don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed other Hallmark movies where the characters are still overcoming a past loss. Most of those, are still positive and uplifting in their own ways. This one was had too many other snags going on that upset the characters. Melodramatic and a downer Hallmark movie in my opinion.

I immediately found it interesting to see Eloise Mumford in the role of the magic maker when almost two years ago she starred opposite that person in The Baker's Son.

Two common themes make the premise for this movie. The family store is in trouble due to a huge rent hike so they need publicity. And a reporter is sent to cover the story of the magic chocolates but his default mode is expose. I hate the latter and usually leads to a predictable conflict but not that particular one here. The story follows the usual path of meeting people who tell romantic stories, and this part works. The conflict turns out to be a mixture of small things. And then the ending is spectacular. I usually get turned off by showy public speeches, but this one was done just right. The interview leading up to the ending helped build up to it.

Mumford and Dan Jeannotte have very good chemistry. A lot of that is Mumford's shy flirtation. Overall, the acting is good and the dialogue is decent.

8.3 stars.

If you wish to enjoy a character study of a female chocolatier that owns a small shop somewhere in the states, this is the film to watch. Here is an in depth analysis of a woman who claims to be a realist, but is a cynic at the far end of the spectrum when it comes to believing in true love. She believes in the power of chocolate maybe too much. She makes cupid chocolate that when people eat it they quickly fall in love. There are many secrets to this chocolate that you will discover if you choose to see it. I suggest that you do.

What I really treasure about "Sweeter Than Chocolate" is that it portrays the depth of love that many hopeless romantics exhibit in spite of living in a cruel and painful world. Lucy is very hesitant to experience true love because for years after her father died, she and her mother were devastated beyond measure. It is a wonder either one recovered from the fallout of their unutterable loss. It's obvious from their level of pain that he was a most wonderful and beloved man. Lucy claims that that it was her mother who was desolate and damaged with the loss, but you will come to recognize that Lucy was equally as broken, if not more.

Dean is a reporter doing a story about her chocolate shop and the famous cupid magic love chocolate. He is blindsided by more than this completely audacious farce of a fairy tale chocolate as he gets to know Lucy and her history. In the meantime, he has aspirations to do bigger and better stories, but for now he is stuck trudging his way through this story in order to get to the big time. What he didn't expect was to meet this charming and wonderful chocolate maker named Lucy.

This is the tale of their magical love story, about his desire to be an anchorman and the permanent imprint that she leaves on him. His choices are inevitably altered as he is swept up by her irresistible charm. You too will be swept up by the magic of Lucy and Dean's romantic adventure, and then realize it is indeed "Sweeter Than Chocolate".

"Sweeter Than Chocolate" reminds us that we must be willing to love, because it's infinitely worth it. You've heard the famous quote "better to have loved and lost..." So true, but said in a different way, in spite of the anguish of losing your true love, the experience of love itself is worth it. Is love worth the grief? What is love without grief? What is happiness without pain? What is light without darkness? You get the point. This movie reminds of that point, and it's exactly what I needed.

This was a romantic addition to the Hallmark film vault and perfectly timed for Valentine's Day. The general story is about a family run chocolate shop that is going to have difficulty making the 40% rent increase and a local reporter who wants to be an on air anchor but has only done gotcha exposé pieces.

The two end up working together for a mutually beneficial project that gives Lucy Sweet much needed exposure for her Sweet Chocolate Shop and Dean Chase gets to show off a softer side as they interview couple for the sweet shop's wall of love. You see Lucy Sweet's grandfather has a special chocolate called the Cupid, that was not for sale but only for friends and family. When Lucy took over the family business and she found her grandfather's secret recipe, her mom talked her in to selling the Cupids for Valentine's Day. The Cupid chocolates seem to have a magical way of bringing couples together...queue the special interest piece on couples brought together by the Cupid.

This was such a sweet and romantic film that didn't discriminate on the type of love represented on the wall...second chance romances, heterosexual, homosexual...everyone's story is told. Meanwhile our two stars seem to be hitting it off with some amazing chemistry and chocolate making!

These two were romantic gold, Eloise Mumford and Dan Jeannotte.

I highly recommend this film to fellow romantics and chocolate lovers. This is an excellent Valentine's Day film. The romance touch m so much I cried!

Lucy Sweet (convenient, but it has an explanation) is a soon to be struggling chocolatier who is given an amazing opportunity when journalist Dean wants to make a story about the "Cupids", chocolates that supposedly make you fall in love.

Eloise is a Hallmark favorite of mine and there were moments in this movie when she kind of made me nervous, but I understood where she was coming from. She just wants to take care of her family and their legacy. Meanwhile, Dean is very ambitious and they crash at first but they end up being a great team. Their chemistry was beautiful, it's all in the little gestures.

The final conflict wasn't forced and it developed naturally. Kudos for that. Also my country was mentioned, yay!

This feature reminded me why I love these silly movies. It took me back to when I only started watching them and all of them felt one of a kind.