Love Accidentally

I mostly watched this because I used to watch Brenda Song on Disney Channel when I was a child & was wondering what she was up to. Unfortunately I've found out she's still making Disney Channel level films but now for adults.

Love Accidentally is nothing more than a copy paste of your typical mid-2000s Hallmark Movie. They didn't even bother to modernize the plot-line, using tropes of the time that no longer make sense (ex: her 2022 waterproof iPhone dying because it was in a bucket of ice for 10 seconds, her contacts not syncing to the cloud automatically, her friend getting mad that she didn't know her phone number). Of course the characters and main plot-line make even less sense, with people in their mid-30s getting into Disney Channel levels of high-school drama & a company having two salesmen self-destructively compete for the same client.

In addition, whoever filmed this movie made almost no attempt at even basic quality control. Just one example -- every time a character holds or "drinks" a cup of "coffee" it's so blindly obvious the cup is actually empty that it will take you out of the movie immediately. There are more egregious issues as well (ie: the awkward "Him and Her" nickname that was clearly the original working title of the movie & should have been changed when they changed the title) but many of those have already been highlighted in other reviews.

Even at only 85 minutes this lazy, completely telegraphed movie is a slog to get through.

IN A NUTSHELL: Freevee is an ad-supported movie streaming service by Amazon. This disappointing rom-com was directed by Peter Sullivan and written by Robert Dean Klein.

THINGS I LIKED: I had never seen either of the good-looking lead actors in anything before: Brenda Song and Aaron O'Connell.

I love it when movies talk about other movies. Sense and Sensibility is even quoted in this flick, although another character calls it "Chick Lit".

The opening credits are energetic and quickly get you in the mood for a rom-com.

The movie is clean with no profanity and sex scenes.

I assume the title is a respectful nod to the romantic comedy Love Actually which has star power, charm, and chemistry. A more appropriate comparison and title for this one could have been a spin-off of You've Got Mail by naming it You've Got Texts.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: There's absolutely zero chemistry between the leads. Both of their personalities are super self-absorbed and annoying, making it difficult to want to root for them.

Super cliched with extremely predictable plot and dialogue.

The workplace bickering is exhausting.

A lot of bad acting moments.

The cheesy music is often overbearing.

I like Denise Richards, so I was sad to see her mess with her beautiful face with plastic surgery.

Are baggy clothes coming back? I was surprised to see Brenda Song in such old-fashioned clothing. Was it intended for her to look like a bad dresser?

Because the main character's name is Alexa, my voice assistant went off in the room every time someone said her name. Ha ha So many hair extensions, Botox, and fake eyelashes.

It drives me nuts when female characters in movies go to bed with tons of makeup still on.

It's supposed to be a comedy but there really isn't much humor.

How is it the female character lives in a gorgeous, expensive house, yet the other successful sales guy in the company, the lead male character, has a dumpy-looking kitchen and eats Hot Pockets?

Ultimately, the movie has no magic and will be instantly unforgettable.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: * Kids will be completely bored.

Lots of alcohol.

We see a shirtless man.

No sex scenes.

No profanity.

THEMES: Competition Relationships Break-ups Texting Communication

Or the other way around - no pun intended for sure though. The movie can be seen as cringe I reckon. The sweetness factor is way too big to say the least. And yet I liked the movie somehow. Maybe I am a glutton for punishment. But the two main actors are really good and they do their best.

Of course you have to suspend your disbelief. The fact that both have this ... well accident as the title suggests ... and that the mystery holds up for so long ... well that is quite something. Also that they both get dumped at the same time. It is women empowering for sure - it is aimed at a female audience so it makes quite a lot of sense. Know what you get yourself into ... make an informed decision (unlike the characters here)

Liked the tone of this show which avoids some silliness and superficiality of recent rom coms.

Office rivals in ad ad agency connect anonymously through text messages. Both had been dumped recently. In a world of online and phone scams, this is unlikely but still plays out quite enjoyably if predictably. Still want to see how things work out.

Aaron O'Connell plays the ad agency executive.

Brenda Song is quite attractive in an intelligent way and watchable. They are an acceptable pair on screen. Denise Richards plays the boss. Still recognizable. A blast from the past Maxwell caufield plays the client.

Fairly enjoyable watch.

The leads are salespeople who are unlikeable in business scenarios. They can't stop sighing every line. It's just about all they do! And the movie is as predictable as anything I've seen in the past couple of years.

The movie does have decent sets and some nice production value, but these nice surrounding bits couldn't change the fact that I didn't like the lead characters enough to want to see them get together.