Chamada do Amor

'Charming" Jake turns out to be an idiot. Convinced to have found his true love in a woman he has casually interacted with for a minute. Sam is a butterfly that falls for a guy that would have been perfect in a Cheech and Chong movie.

God makes them and brings them together. Unfortunately, this did not want to be a farce. I am sorry for Karissa Staples, whom I usually like.

There was NO chemistry between the leads at all. Ms Staples is good enough to deserve better than this. What was the casting director thinking? They not only had no chemistry, she seemed to be uncomfortable with him.

This typical light romance movie has a podcast host coming across the idea of helping a mechanic to help find the love at first sight who lost her number when his smartphone with her number is accidentally dropped and run over by a car. However, this romance version is about the journey not the destination and the typical letdown is handled with care and decency. Predictable but entertaining and fun for relaxing and taking one's mind off the pressures of the day.

The description of the premise caught my eye as having potential. Unfortunately it wasn't done well. I didn't like Sam from the minute she showed up on the screen. She seemed shallow and self-absorbed. She didn't listen to anyone even when what they were saying made sense. She was scornful of Jake and almost everything about him. Like most movies in this genre, Sam's rough edges seem to soften out. For the most part they do, but deep down they were still there.

There was nothing wrong with Jake, but nothing that great either.

Stupid stuff in the story: 1) When Sam first sees Becky, why didn't she just say "Are you Becky?" 2) Instead Sam goes all stalkerish which probably contributed to Becky's initial reaction. 3) Sam acts like Becky is socially ignorant because Becky doesn't follow her podcast. 4) Sam doesn't tell Jake about Becky. And half the movie is left at this point. There's more stupid to come.

The acting is poor. The dialogue is poor. The chemistry between the leads seems forced which means it isn't "chemistry".

I'm usually not a fan of the UP movies - they are too generic. This one however had a really interesting premise and great writing (a very welcome surprise). The dialogue was sharp and witty. I hope to see more movies from this writer - Melanie Martinez. Definitely worth a watch!