The Hating Game

At first glance it seems like the typical and predictable romcom but it had me pleasantly surprised. Think I had a smile on my face throughout the whole movie.

The two leads played off each other so well with such charm and chemistry.

Probably one of my favorite romcom's from the last couple of years!

Lucy Hale is wonderful in this. Quirky, adorable, funny, the usual. However, the male lead is SO BORING. Like they could have casted a brick wall and it would have had the same outcome.

This looks like your typical Hallmark X-mas romance movie.. straight to VHS. But while it's not a Hollywood movie, it is certainly better than anticipated.

I expected to find Austin as the stiff male lead that would drag down the charming presence of Lucy Hale.. but both leads make this film together! They work really well off of each other. Their lines and stabs are really enjoyable, and the "drama" is not heavy enough to be a bother.

Lucy, of course, stands out as the cherry on top of a cake. Her wardrobe is impeccable, and her personality on screen as delightful as Ana de Armas is generally. The movie would not work as well without her.

Good coloring, sets and locations. Fast pace, music choices and editing. Nice production.

I'm surprised to admit I found this quite fun! More importantly, it is structured beyond competently to let you know where everyone stands during the first 13 minutes. I was impressed and already in it by then. The Romance is a bit... slow and on the side, but ultimately is the foundation of the story. You know what you are in for, and that's exactly what you get. Wouldn't change a thing! Had a nice time, since I was in the mood for it.

If the average Hallmark movie would move even a little along the scale towards this standard, their films might become a little more watchable. It helps the male audience that Lucy Hale is mesmericly beautiful. If I knew this scriptwriter and team were making another rom I'd watch it in a heartbeat. It is not so much that it wasn't entirely predictable - it was - but that is not the point. We didn't have to suffer through godawful pizzicato, awkward interrupted kisses, religious input or a dummy cast of whatever the latest race and sexual orientation quota is. Did I mention Lucy Hale looks good in this?

Ok, so I didn't read the book. This is a review of show only, with no comparison. It was cheesy. Josh was a very unlikable character. Aside from his good looks, I don't know what Lucy saw in him again and again and again. Lucy tan after a guy who treated it her poorly at worst and gave her mixed signals at best. I thought the scenes were choppy. This is why office romances are best avoided.