Just One Kiss

Just One Kiss is the most welcome Hallmark movie in a very long time. It departs from every standard device that Hallmark movies have used over and over. Of course, there is the aborted kiss, and the misunderstood moment that leads to separation and reconciliation. But other than those two standard cliches, everything about this films is the most refreshing breath of fresh air in a very long time. The hero is a musician who sings the oldies in a supper club.. He actually sings old Sinatra favorites, classic love songs, and sings them well. Once in a while , there is a slight quarter note off key..but not enough to daunt the listener. Our leading lady is a single mom, in the process of completing a contentious divorce, She is actually an intelligent college professor, and not the typical Hallmark smiling blonde who is looking for romance. She teaches a course in poetry, and is the object of some very insightful comments from her students, mostly about their observation of her love life.

There is a gay couple, portrayed with incredible maturity, love, intelligence, and not in a gratuitous manner. Bravo, Hallmark! Long overdue.

Added to this wonderful mix are the two mothers of the leading actors. One is a "typical" Italian mom, the other one a "typical" Jewish mom. While their behaviors, their love of their children, their efforts to make a match happen are a bit of a cliche, the roles are beautifully played by Aida Turturro and Ileana Douglas, two very established and competent actresses. A surprise ending is very creative and very emotional, bringing tears to ones eyes.

In all, this is a mature, very intelligent movie, with some wonderful music to listen to. Even the leading lady sings and dances beautifully. The relationships are intelligent, love develops in an intelligent, sensible way. This is a definite departure from the Hallmark films we are used to . In the very best way. Hallmark, please, send us more of this kind of movie!

I loved the singing in this movie. It breaks up the story telling with a nice tune every now & then and the smiles from the actors are contagious. I also enjoyed seeing ethnic characters in the lead, Italian, Jewish, Mexican, the moms were funny. The movie moved pretty fast for Hallmark, I mean he tried to kiss her on the 1st date! Lol I like these actors, they seemed more natural in their roles.

Loved it.

This was a really good romantic TV movie. Very original, well acted, and a bit of old Frank can never hurt. You always know how a Hallmark movie ends, but this journey was better than most. Very enjoyable.

It's definitely worth watching, but all of the 10 out of 10 reviews are overselling the movie. It's good, not great.

I didn't like the bit about the mothers, although I could see lots of people enjoying them. The lead woman, though an interesting character, was overly sour. Her early exchanges with the lead man were heavily tinged with negativity. There were also a lot of coincidences (ex. Everyone bumps into each other in little old NYC) that could leave a viewer rolling their eyes.

But it's a Hallmark romance after all, and we all know the deal when watching these. I think this movie exceeds the average in this genre and delivers on the main selling points. The dialogue in the script and the acting were very good.

This movie is above average quality for hallmark. I'm a big fan of Hallmark movies but sometimes they can get a little boring and the Scripps are so G rated that the writers forget that you can still make adults witty and fun.

Thankfully in this movie, You get some witty banter. The leads actually flirt with each other versus acting like good buddies who suddenly realize that they are in love.

Plus, there is the inclusion of Tony-winner Santino Fontana as the male lead. I saw him played the lead in tootsie in 2019 before it went onto Broadway. He has such a natural gift for comedy and wit that I immediately recognized him three years later in this movie. Plus he has a great voice- if only we could actually see lounge singers that good in real life!