Shifting Gears

As the title suggests, this Hallmark romance has an automotive theme. Luke (Tyler Hynes) and Jess (Katherine Barrell) work on cars for competing garages. The two of them have a romantic history, but Jess now prefers cars over men, because they never disappoint. Emotions between them are further complicated by the fact that the two garages, owned by their fathers, also have a deep history.

The chemistry between the two leads is not off the charts, but the story really leans into the auto restoration contest that Luke and Jess enter. And Jess's father really needs the prize money to bail their garage out of existential financial problems. Still, as the contest goes on, old feelings are reignited, and Jess begins to allow Luke into her heart.

As always in a Hallmark film, a conflict arises in the eleventh hour, throwing a wrench into their love affair. But the viewer knows that love will overcome in the world where romance wears the crown.

In the final minutes, there is a resolution that promises not just a reconciliation, but also a brighter future. Even grease monkeys deserve love in Hallmark land.

I have seen way better movies than this one. The last five minutes was the best of the whole movie. I was greatly disappointed that I wasted my time on this one. In my opinion Tyler Hynes hasn't played in a good movie in a while. The story was choppy and sloppy.

There was no chemistry with Tyler and Katherine in the movie, perhaps because there was basically no story line.

As far as the restoring of cars, well that was choppy and just plain silly in my opinion.

I think Hallmark could do a whole lot better. Get new writers if this is the best you can do.

I think the writers on this story got an F.

Tyler Hynes is the best leading man that Hallmark have on their books hands down.

With his droll sarcastic humour, he has the ability to make even the cheesiest line or the most wooden leading lady look good.

He can also elevate thinner material into looking better than it actually is, and that's a skill he has to utilise here, as 'Shifting Gears' relies heavily on him to drag it through.

It's not a film that deviates too far from the standard Hallmark format, and while that's comfortable, it needed perhaps another extra element to elevate it a little more from being just 'ok'.

Was the car show broadcasting live or was it being pre-recorded? The film never seems to know either.

Overall, Hynes manages to make the most of a lesser project.

There are so many of the usual elements in this movie including several of the usual plot components. Jess' family business is in jeopardy, and they need the contest money. Jess is bitter about what she believes was Luke's betrayal years ago in keeping quiet about his father then. As usual in this genre, the animosity gets quickly overlooked almost as if Jess' memory was wiped clean.

There were three ways the contest could have gone. There were two ways Luke's dad could have gone and in this case it is the more common one. But there was really only one way Luke could have gone. Luke knows he should tell Jess about his dad's plan, but any regular rom/com viewer knows how that will turn out. We also know what choice he will make in the end. Kudos for a little twist adding some complexity to the conflict between Luke and Jess that threatens to ruin what is starting to rekindle but it still goes the usual direction. As an astute viewer might guess it creates its own opportunity.

It often seems like Tyler Hynes can have chemistry with anyone opposite him and he does here with Katherine Barrell. The acting is mostly good although it seemed at times that Barrell tried to hard.

I'm not a fan of TV contest shows. They steal screentime from the romantic relationships. There are predictable within a few outcomes. You at least know the lead with financial trouble will make the final and somehow the results will provide what is needed. And so often, the epilogue, not the romantic one, is basically the same and it is here.

In short, we have a write by numbers plot with one small twist. The actors make the entirety watchable but no great highs or lows.

The leads were not a good match and had no chemistry. The female lead was not even likeable, much less appealing. I didn't buy their relationship for a second and am not sure why she was cast in that role. When they were skating they looked silly. I think that Julie Gonzalo would have been a much better choice as she and Tyler Hynes have great chemistry together. I also didn't buy the guy playing Tyler Hyne's father. The get to know you segment on the tv show was super cringey even for a Hallmark movie. I actually think just about any other female in the Hallmark universe would have been a better fit for the female lead than the one they cast.