A Marriage of Convenience

This highly entertaining movie surprised the hell out of me, because it's really great and compelling considering the fact that it's a TV film.Marriage of Convenience is well-produced and directed, with a modest but pleasant love story.There is nothing new here, but at least you will find an old-fashioned "valentines" motion picture.James Brolin is an underrated excellent and capable actor, and he plays his part with charm.It's a shame the fact that only his son Josh is making success on the big screens (Hollow Man, Best Laid Plans), because James Brolin is an actor who still has a lot to offer beyond being Barbra Streisand's husband. Jane Seymour is great as his romantic interest. The film is sweet and simple, maybe that's why it was so interesting and appealing to me, because nowadays violence and brutal deaths are becoming frequent ways to attract people to the theaters, and seeing something like this soft love story makes you fell good.

This movie is just that ... a movie. If you're one of those people who watches movies in disbelief, this is not the choice pick for you. Is "This could never happen" your motto? Then don't check this one out. It's a good movie, that's for sure. But it's unrealistic. It's a good, old-fashioned, made-for-TV movie.

Without relying on profanity or perky leads in their twenties, this is how romances used to be made. Is the premise unlikely? Highly. But Brolin and Seymour are a joy to watch, the long experience as romantic leads making their characters believable despite the premise. The banter is fresh and this movie has something solid to say about why people should marry.

Even though the premise about the forced marriage is totally unlikely, I liked this feel good movie. James Brolin is a bit old looking for Jane Seymour. A woman gives up her career to look after the son of her sister who died in child birth. Later on for for various reasons they contact the birth father. He turns out to be a wealthy man. When they can't agree about custody they marry for the sake of the boy and live together, eventually the inevitable happens. It's quite watchable and Jane is always engaging.

Putting Jane Seymour and James Brolin together in a romantic film is a sure fire way to succeed. This is one of the most entertaining and enjoyable films I have seen. Sure it's a modern day fairytale, but what the heck, sometimes a fairytale is just what we need to escape the drudgery of everyday life. I have long been a Jane Seymour fan and I have added this film to my list of favorites.

I also enjoyed the performance of Kari Matchett as Elizabeth ("you may catch her before she loses your glass slipper"), the other woman in the life of Mason Whitney (Brolin). At times she is a dead ringer for Laura Linney, and just as charming.

If you can put aside the cares of the day and settle into a modern Cinderella story without judging it by the standards of real life, this is the movie to watch. I gave it a 9 out of 10.