'When Sparks Fly' (2014)
Opening thoughts: Hallmark have proven many times that they are capable of making something watchable at least and the best of them are actually very good. Some of those being films with very unappealing premises but somehow managing to make something charming out of it. The premise was quite cute and Lochlyn Munro has been decent elsewhere. Am however not a fan of Meghan Markle, whether in acting or in real life, though it was interesting to see her before she became one of the world's most hated people.
'When Sparks Fly' has no spark whatsoever and really is as bad as has been said. There are worse films about that have nothing good about them (this has a couple despite being lost amidst the numerous major flaws), but it is for me definitely one of the worst films of a hit and miss and not particularly exceptional year for Hallmark. While only just about missing being down there as one of their overall worst. And this is coming from somebody who has always tried to be generous with their ratings and encouraging with their reviewing.
Good things: There are not many good things at all, but the scenery is quite nice and Munro has moments of easy going charm.
Bad things: Markle however is awful, she has little personality that is evident in some wooden line delivery, over-compensates at other points with some very affected facial expressions and comes over as very self absorbed. That her character is so impossible to endear to badly unbalances the film and actually wrecks it, a character with no real redeeming qualities seeemingly and with too many exaggerated negative traits to count (shallow-ness and arrogance being the most frequent, with no signs of learning from mistakes). She also has no chemistry with Munro, who as said does fare a lot better but there are other times where he seemed to know the material was bad and was not comfortable about it. The rest of the cast are bland and poorly utilised, Christopher Jacot looks confused and embarrassed in his screen time.
Also found the story execution very unrealistic, the worst of it exceeding breaking point in credibility straining. Especially the too pat and completely unwarranted ending. Namely because it was so hard to believe what anybody could possibly see in Markle's character and not being able to see through her motives and what she is like when it is so obvious made them come over as ridiculously naive.
Furthermore, all the characters are one dimensional and not fleshed out, basically bland typical Hallmark cliches. It is also very predictable, it's an old premise executed conventionally and with nothing new sprinkled with too much of a manipulative streak (with how Markle's character treats everybody else) that is distasteful and overdone.
Dialogue is awkward with the comedy being contrived and the drama being too sentimental. As said, the ending is far too neat and convenient. It was very obvious from the start what the final decision was, as it is one that is common with Hallmark and always with films with at least one unbearable lead character (one that always has one rooting desperately for the opposite to happen), and it is one that makes one go "why" because of how unearned it is.
Concluding: Overall, it really is that bad.
2/10.
