A Country Romance

First off, Jonathan Bennett being cast as a heterosexual love interest in 2021 (and a "country farmer" role at that) defies logic. And it shows in his acting and his relationship with the female lead.

I actually watched this movie because it sounded troupe-y. And it did not disappoint here. It was incredibly generic...and I loved this. Hence why it is getting four stars. Otherwise it would get one.

Because the acting was incredibly wooden. This is somewhat surprising given the seasoned veterans cast in this one. But wow was it bad. It felt like no one (except the little girl) really wanted to be in this film. The chemistry is non-existent. Any attempted banter falls flat.

My theory is that everyone involved secretly was a little embarrassed in Jonathan Bennett's puzzling role, including Bennett himself. So it just all comes across as awkward.

Another tale of city girl coming back to her country town and falling for local farmer boy. Nothing original, nothing offensive, nothing relevant.

FILMING: Some views of the countryside are pleasant and inviting, probably the better part of the entire content.

SCRIPT: rather generic and bland, with little or no drama.

CHARACTERS: Cute the little girl, the others have no depth, little vitality, and no endearing qualities.

ACTING: subpar across the field. Jonathan Bennett appears ill-cast in the role of what should have been a rugged countryman. He seems uneasy and comes out unconvincing. Definitely far from his best. Alix Angelis is pretty, but her acting is wooden, almost stereotyped. Half of the time, she is seen on close-ups with goo-goo eyes and a faintly lost expression that, I suppose, was intended to show how smitten she is from the first moment on.

DIRECTING: Probably the cause of all above detracting elements. It must be, as I have seen the same actors do better in other production.

Overall, a production that lives no marks, rather insipid and forgettable.

I chose to watch this movie because I have seen Jonathan Bennett in other movies. This was not one of his best. I was very surprised to see that it was a recent production - 2021. I was sure is was one of his earlier movies.

Acting by all the actors was second rate in my opinion and I am usually pretty forgiving. The niece was the exception, as I generally think children add something to movies.

The positive about the movie was that it was a clean wholesome family show. I am okay with predictable "Hallmark-type" movies but the acting was poor. There was no chemistry between the actors. Overall it was disappointing.

The other reviewers are pretty much echoing my sentiments about this film. The lead actress is just awful, although it's hard to make to like a character who is so dumb about harvesting grapes that she Googles "graping" to find out what to do. Jonathan Bennett, who was the main reason for watching, doesn't seem to be working all that hard. And the plot holes are ridiculous. The dad doesn't have farmhands he hires on a regular basis to harvest the grapes? Who puts a hotel in the middle of a vineyard? The acting, save for the niece, is BAD. I know films like these aren't supposed to be great cinema, but that's not an excuse to have a lame story, weak actors and terrible pacing.

6.5 stars.

Just barely rounds up to a 7. It's somewhat difficult to manage placing this story in the realm of possible for several reasons. The main actor is not straight, so envisioning him as it is already difficult. But that's the reality of Hollywood, once an actor comes out, there's no stuffing themselves back in. Sure, we could say it's no different than trying to believe a straight portraying a non character. So be it. It's all about getting into the romance and enjoying the experience of attraction between two leads, knowing that one of them isn't capable of being that for the other. Ok, like I said, so be it.

Now let's talk about the movie. This story is presented to us in slow motion. I am not kidding. The tempo of conversation is literally turned down to 65%. Every sentence is deliberate, so the 90 minutes of run time is telling a 60 minute story. The story itself is not original in any way. In fact, this is about as unoriginal and monotonous as they come. So what was good about it? It's very relaxing and ASMR-like. This is a good film to unwind and end your hectic day with. Just too slow moving for any entertainment, but it has value in other respects.