A Novel Romance

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source: A Novel Romance

Throughout my recently started Hallmark film completest quest expanding (so The Spring Fever, Summer Nights, Fall Harvest etc blocks on top of the Christmas films) an interesting quest but very mixed one, there was never the mentality of expecting a classic or the film in question to be flawless. Which never was the case. There was always the expectation of seeing a film where one can see at least some effort rather than merely cash-in level. Effort that can absolutely be seen in 'A Novel Romace'. It is only the second 2015 Hallmark film and already that year has gotten off to a promising start for Hallmark. No Hallmark film seen yet has been great, though many has had many great things while having a few not so good ones. Which is the case with 'A Novel Romance'. Really liked the concept, which was cute if familiar, and the film does a nice job with it while never doing anything extraordinary. 'A Novel Romance' isn't perfect. It is let down by the very rushed and very silly final act, with almost everything happening too hastily and most of it not ringing true. Like most Hallmark films, the ending is a bit too neat. Was expecting to be pretty predictable, and was not disappointed in this respect, very by the letter. However, so much is great. It is a very nice looking film, one of Hallmark's best looking 2015 films in my view. The scenery really does entrance and the photography doesn't cheapen it at all. The music at least fits tonally and in placement and has presence without being over-loud. The dialogue is sharp enough and flows naturally, while also having the right amount of sentiment (not too much in quality and quantity). Characters aren't complex, then again that shouldn't be expected watching Hallmark, but aren't too stereotypical and are generally likeable enough. The story may be predictable and not perfect in execution, but it is incredibly charming, sweet without being too sugary and very heart-warming. There is a nice lightness to it too on the whole. The cast are all solid, with Amy Acker being especially engaging. Very nice chemistry with her and equally charming Dylan Bruce. Summing up, nice film. 7/10.

An enjoyable and heartfelt movie with excellent acting and good script.

I rated as high as I did because I love Amy Acker & Dylan Bruce, but this story was so lame in parts that I could hardly get through it. The overreaction & manufactured melodrama had my eyes rolling HARD. I've enjoyed many Hallmark movies, but not this one.

There is a great Reverend Horton Heat song titled "Lie Detector." Undoubtedly the characters in this movie never come close to either listening to music such as this or thinking that the exist in the song lyrics posted next: "Waiting for a slip Ain't no way to live I gotta take the test If you've gotta give You are the lie detector You are the lie detector You are the truth protector You are the lie detector girl, yeah What kind of thing could be Running through your mind? What the hell you thinking that You're gonna find? Officer, prosecutor Judge, and Jury too What the hell you think Exactly that you're gonna prove?" =========================== A Novel Romance is the story of a female acting like The Lie Detector. The loverboy who is supposedly a mega-million selling author who is famous...but she doesn't know what his face is like. Right. This is a painfully awful movie of one-note characters doing cloying clever and stupid Lie Detector things; she even admits that she put him through "tests." His personality is so bland he just says "oh, OK." Any human I know would be enraged at being treated in such a manner that they would have the potential if not follow through of violence. Who wants to shack up with a hag who thinks it is so clever to put their lover through Lie Detector Tests?

This was a really very good movie. James Welch Henderson Arkansas 8/18/2021.

The actors are good. But I would rework the script. He should have just told her early on why his parentage led him to seek anonymity, and then that he became a writer with a pseudonym, and then that his pseudonym is Gabriel August. She kind of overreacts to the reveal. So, he's a writer with a famous pseudonym. Big deal. The way she takes it, you would think he had stolen all the money in her bank account. He wasn't hiding some dirty secret. He was just waiting for the right time to confide a big, private thing about himself. As a critic, doesn't she know the plot to the Barber of Seville? Then, after six months go by, she seeks him out like they can just pick up where they left off?

Given all the elements of this story. I thought the acting was great the story well acted.

I found the intrinsic denouement, i.e. Liam's/Gabriel August's revealing his true identity, came WAY TOO LATE, and when it came, it turned into utter disappointment. Gabriel August had several opportunities and may I say weakly and meekly eschewed each of them -- and when he finally did reveal himself, it turned into a disaster. The viewer had been looking forward to the resolution for quite some time, and when it finally did occur, it was not a joyous moment of surprise but a painful-to-watch disintegration, a falling apart of the plot. I imagine the screenwriter, a Hanz Wasserburger, struggled to write a script that could hold suspense for 1 hr 26 min. The movie held my suspense for quite a while, but one can only be patient that long, AND THEN one is rewarded with disappointment.