Welcome to Mama's

I adore Lorraine Bracco but not in this environment. The back and forth between present and past was fine, but the main leads had zero chemistry. Their personalities clashed, and the story was stale. This one fell flat for me, definitely not a rewatch.

A bad script, too much nostalgia for "Mama", her recipes and her way of doing things. Too many flashbacks. Leads that don't have chemistry and the rest of the cast didn't seem to click. It didn't hold my attention, there are other better things on TV.

6.4 stars.

This film fails to capture the ambience of a rustic Italian restaurant, is slow moving and not engaging. The chemistry between Amy and Frank is somewhat non-existent, whereas their friendship is more believable and practical. I feel she is straining her performance and not interested in playing the part. His personality seems lifeless and dull. It's as if they both delved too deep into their characters and forgot to import some enthusiasm.

The back story of Mama and Papa was interesting although not realistic because their personalities do not transfer from past to present. Mama's past self being a robust, petit, cute and gentle person; changed into a frustrated, sour, voluptuous, matriarch with no spark. Papa simply disappears into the background. Their accents don't jive from past to present, hers being non-existent after a while. There is no convincing the audience of such drastic shifts in character and how things are.

The Mama and Papa history doesn't mesh, the leads don't fit together, there is nothing to root for, not even the hope of a triumphant romantic ending either past or present.

When ambition and tradition don't mix, the flavor of Mama's Ristorante is lost. But with the help of Mama's recipe for love, a partnership is born, and her legacy lives on.

Not as good as hallmark's usual offerings it had all the elements, just lacked chemistry with the viewer. The lead actress just felt awkward and it took a while to get the hang of the flashbacks. No experienced manager would have an argument with a member of the staff in front of guests. Background sound/music might've been authentic to a kitchen but was a bit loud for dialogue. Fine for one watch but that's enough.