The Valentine Competition

I love Ashley Newbrough in movies, and was excited to watch this, but the evil mother character was so horrible, that it had me stopping mid way through. It is one thing to have an evil Boss that you leave for love etc, but when it is your own Mother, there is no getting away from that. It is not even worth continuing to see how it may turn around, or that the Mother may turn good in the end.

This movie is scene by scene an exact copy of a Christmas movie out earlier this year about a neighborhood light competition. Every plot point and every character. I get that these movies are all mostly similar and original ideas are hard to come by, but this is a bit much.

The worst part of this movie is the father with Alzheimer's who was used for comedic effect. Nothing funnier than a depressing disease, right? All of his scenes were filled with cringe.

The lead character came across as something less than human early in the movie, and her mother was an over the top villain of the mustache-twirling variety. Their personality faults were so forced that it detracted from any semblance of realism.

All of the "funny" moments failed to deliver any laughs, and the entire thing just felt low budget. You could tell it was filmed through COVID times because extras were kept far away and scenes had little "life" to them.

Ultra-light feel-good romcom stars Cor as the whimsical, easygoing manager of a garden nursery who talks to plants, drives a cool mustang and tries to make his new boss (Newbrough) see the human side of the business as they stage a garden makeover competition ostensibly to cover an oversupply error.

Whilst touching, the dementia sub-plot could've been handled more tactfully and still evoked the sympathy it was seeking, but at least the tone is consistent. For her part, Newbrough is effective playing a conflicted corporate protege dedicated to making her insensitive business-obsessed mother (Kruper) proud, but begins to lose her ambitious resolve when she becomes emotionally - then romantically - invested in Cor and his more balanced, family-first attitude.

Everyone acquits their roles with confidence, and the simple story hums along at a brisk pace although it sometimes feels like a corporate HR leadership video with a script and budget to match. Overall it's hopelessly cliched but likeable Canadian-made matinee, with a distinct Hallmark vibe.