Stranded in Paradise

HR executive Tess Nelson (Vanessa Marcil) is blindsided when she gets downsized by the son of her former boss who has taken over. As her final act, she takes the company-paid trip to a business conference in Puerto Rico in order to drum up employment opportunities. She does meet fellow traveler Carter McConnell (James Denton). Both are missing their luggage and staying at the same hotel. The job search goes badly and a hurricane is bearing down on the island.

At least, this has some colors of Puerto Rico. I had feared that the movie would only take place in that dull hotel. It's always great to see waves lapping on a sunny beach. The couple is fine for this type of movies. The story isn't much. The romance is fine but there are no hurdles to overcome. There is no drama. It's a vacation from thinking.

Your Hollywood directors do not know the difference between cultures, like Puertoricans and Mexicans. The music, food, sayings and most of all the dances are all wrong. Hint, for you so call directs. Before you direct a Spanish movie next time you might want to do your home work on the culture. Every movie I watch that has to do with Spanish people you so call directors get it all mixed up.

6.4 stars.

There is little to say about this film that hasn't been stated in every other romance of its kind. Two people meet on a plane to Puerto Rico, the man is from USA the woman is from USA, the man is a vagabond, the woman is a corporate pawn with no spontaneity. The formula for "Stranded in Paradise" seems to fit within the general era from whence it spawned, which in this case is 2014. Back then Hallmark was still morphing their blueprint. 2014 seems like yesterday for a guy my age, but is a lifetime for someone in their 30's or younger. Hallmark films were more reckless in their presentation back then, making all sorts of gaffs and really obvious mistakes in the productions. The story itself is mundane, and the theme is not communicated effectively, which is probably meant to be something like: find your purpose in life, nobody can find it for you. The romance is virtually absent until the last minute where we are ensconced in a veritable passion fiesta. Too little, too late.

This is how a rom/com should be done, with none of the sophomoric nonsense, just good writing, good acting and the right amount of humor. Excellent setting as well

My husband and I watched this last night as it seemed a harmless bit of fluff and there was nothing else on. Ended up really enjoying it...not for the movie itself, which is barely average, but because once we started noticing the continuity errors (such as setting off for a destination in the middle of the night and arriving in broad daylight...We are talking Puerto Rico here!)we spent the rest of the movie cracking up over them. Especially during the "hurricane" segment where they were boarding up windows in preparation, but sitting next to a window with open shutters during the height of the storm. The more you start looking, the more things are just all sorts of wrong, to the point that that alone is worth the watch.

Also, the hotel manager was an almost perfect amalgam of Basil Fawlty and the waiter Manuel, which had to be purposeful casting.