Tag Archives: Romance

Jan 9 2021

Heartlock (2018) Movie Review

Director: Jon Kauffman

Writer: Jon Kauffman, Chris Cummings (Screenplay)

Starring: Alexander Dreymon, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Erik LaRay Harvey, Cedric Young, Wayne David Parker

Plot: A rogue love story centered on a female correctional officer whose life is turned upside down by the fleeting affections of her lover – a male convict whose charm is only as genuine as his desire to be free.

Runtime: 1 Hour 36 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Strong Performances

Story: Heartlock starts when Lee Haze (Dreymon) is looking for a way out of prison, he has always kept himself to himself and he looks towards Continental (Harvey) who controls the prison from the inside to help him, which sees Lee turning towards rookie correctional officer Tera Sharpe (Brandt).

As the two get closer, Lee looks to risk it all to get out, while Tera knows the consequences if she gets too close to an inmate, left with the two needing to decide what to do next.

Thoughts on Heartlock

Characters – Lee Haze has been in prison for years now, waiting for his chance to be back together with his partner, only to find his letters returned to him, wanting to escape, he turns to try and turn on of the guards to help him escape, only can thing left to ask, is whether he can get away with it. Tera Sharpe is the correctional officers that is following in her father’s footsteps, she is struggling outside the job with her father, while slowly starting to fall for Lee. Continental runs the prison from the inside, he has guards in his pockets, who will do anything for him, running a drug trade from the inside.

Performances – Alexander Dreymon in the leading role does reflect the confliction he is going through to get out of jail. Lesley-Ann Brandt does show us the difficulties of seeing a family member struggling with their health, showing that life isn’t going her way. Erik LaRay Harvey does show the confidence for a man that is in complete control of the situation he finds himself in.

Story – The story here follows a prisoner who is looking to escape by getting closer to a corrections guard, but finds himself getting too close and not wanting to see her life ruined for his own personal gain. Here we get to focus on the problems you could face by trying to risk everything for freedom, from either behind bars or from one’s own life. It shows how easily prison guards could become corrupt without finding an option to escape. It has the message about taking responsibility for your actions coming through strong here.

Crime/Romance – We are set in a prison, that does show us the criminal actions still being committed by the prisoners, which gets caught up in a romance between an inmate and one of the guards.

Settings – The film does use the prison setting to not only show us how Lee has no escape, but outside of this world, we see how Tera is in her own prison, trying to protect her father.


Scene of the Movie – Tell the truth.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Tera does seem to change her mind about Lee way too quickly.

Final Thoughts – This is a nice romance about how you could find love from someone you didn’t know at the wrong time in life, leading you to make decision which will only cause more problems.

Overall: Nice Romance.

Dec 24 2020

Modern Persuasion – Coming to UK On Digital Platforms February 8th

Modern Persuasion is a fun, sexy and modern telling of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion.”
Wren Cosgrove (Alicia Witt, Orange is the New Black) is a happy, single, and selfconfessed workaholic who, after rising to the top of the corporate ladder, finds herself
coming home every night to her cat. When her firm is hired by Owen Jasper (Shane
McRae, Sneaky Pete), “the man who got away,” long-lost feelings are stirred, giving
Wren a second chance at true love.

Dec 22 2020

Kids in Love (2016) Movie Review

Director: Chris Foggin

Writer: Sebastian De Souza, Preston Thompson (Screenplay)

Starring: Will Poulter, Jamie Blackley, Geraldine Somerville, Pip Torrens, Robert Portal, Sarah Woodruff

Plot: Set against the backdrop of an underground, bohemian London, Kids In Love offers a new take on the traditional coming of age story. Drifting through his gap year with internships and travel plans, Jack (Will Poulter) has always suspected there was more to life than this. A chance encounter with the beautiful and ethereal Evelyn (Alma Jodorowsky) and her friends, including free spirited Viola (Cara Delevingne), swerves his life radically off course. She is like no one he’s ever met before, and he quickly becomes caught up in a whirlwind of all-day parties and wild nights in London’s hidden dives with her charismatic friends. Giving up everything to follow Evelyn and her hedonistic lifestyle, it takes Jack a while to realise what he’s leaving behind, that love isn’t a game you want to lose and that these people might not be the kindred spirits he first thought.

Runtime: 1 Hour 27 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Solid Coming of Age Film

Story: Kids in Love starts as we meet Jack (Poulter) who is planning his gap year with his best friend Tom (Blackley) before heading to university, with Jack’s career lined up by his father, this changes when Jack meets Evelyn (Jodorowsky) who lives a free spirit life with Viola (Delevingne) and other friends, that treat life as a party.

As Jack spends more time with Evelyn and her friends, he starts to think about his future and whether he should continue to follow the plans his father planted in him or whether he should start doing something for himself.

Thoughts on Kids in Love

Characters – Jack is a teenager facing the most difficult decision of his life, whether to continue on his plan of a gap year and university or jump at the opportunity of love that has come from nowhere, he doesn’t know which one is the right choice and won’t get a chance to change his decision once he goes through with it, this character shows how difficult life can be when things change suddenly in it. Evelyn is the French woman that Jack meets, she is a free spirit with how she acts, living a life of luxury with friends, she teaches Jack about new ways to enjoy life. Tom is the best friend that has been saving for the gap year with Jack, he does get upset when he starts thinking about changing his mind. We have a couple of other characters which include ones the same age trying to encourage people to join the fun and parents not wanting them to have it.

Performances – Will Poulter is the star of the show here, he shows the confliction that is felt by a lot of people this age at this time of life, Alma Jodorowsky does make for a good love interest, being confusing with how her character acts through the film. The rest of the cast are solid without getting the biggest moments to shine.

Story – The story here follows a teenager about to start the next chapter of his life, only to meet a stranger who offers him a new look at life, one that could make him want to reconsider his life plan. This is a coming of age story that puts the highlight on just how difficult being this age will be, you think you might have it planned out, until something completely different comes your way. The idea behind the story is great to see, though some of the execution isn’t as strong as the idea with too much not coming from what has been created with how Jack is thinking, as Evelyn doesn’t ever get put in a good light with her actions through the film.

Romance – The romance shows how Jack might have fallen in love, only for this person to be one of the ones that will only make his life more complicated.

Settings – The film uses the London setting to show us just how connected people’s lives might well be.


Scene of the Movie – The first party.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Most of Evelyn’s actions.

Final Thoughts – This is a solid coming of age story that shows us all just how hard life can be at this age for everyone.

Overall: Coming of Age 101.

Dec 8 2020

Dare to Dream (2019) Movie Review

Director: Martin Schreier

Writer: Arend Remmers (Screenplay) Martin Schreier, Arend Remmers, Tom Zickler, Sebastian Fruner (Story)

Starring: Emilia Schule, Svenja Jung, Nikolai Kinski, Ken Duken, Anatole Taybman, Dennis Mojen

Plot: A romantic drama set in 1961 that follows a young studio extra’s ambitious efforts to reunite with the French girl he loves after being separated by the construction of the Berlin Wall.

Runtime: 2 Hour 5 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Dare to Dream starts when a young man Emil Hellberg (Mojen) looks to get into the movie industry in German in the early 1960s, first as a extra where he only finds himself making mistakes when he falls for a young actress Milou (Schule) who is still finding her own feet in the industry.

When the two get separated by the Berlin Wall, Emil must figure out who to bring Milou back to the studio, with his own plan to bring her back by getting a movie produced, it will give him a chance of love before the borders are closed for good.

Thoughts on Dare to Dream

Thoughts – Dare to Dream brings us the magical story of love between an extra and a dance double on a movie set, that will see them separated by the new restrictions thrown up in German. This does show us the magic of how movies can bring people together from different worlds when it comes to the meeting process on the sets, we see how despite boundaries, love will remain strong and breaking out the strict rules will make people more creative with their expressions. The lead two performances are wonderful, with the supporting cast getting extra laughs along the way, which will make even more enjoyment to be received from the film. We might not get into the truth depths of the reality of the change in German, where the making of the movie manages to help everyone put that behind them, rather than let them get caught up in the problems coming their way.

Final Thoughts – Dare to Dream is an enjoyable story of love.

Signature Entertainment presents Dare to Dream on Digital HD 14th December

Nov 27 2020

ABC Film Challenge – Comedy – # – 5 to 7 (2014) Movie Review

Director: Victor Levin

Writer: Victor Levin (Screenplay)

Starring: Anton Yelchin, Berenice Marlohe, Olivia Thirlby, Lambert Wilson, Frank Langella, Glenn Close

Plot: An aspiring novelist enters into a relationship with a woman, though there’s just one catch: She’s married and the couple can only meet between the hours of 5 and 7 each evening.

Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Delightful Look at Relationships

Story: 5 to 7 starts as New Yorker Brian (Yelchin) searches the city for stories, finding them on park benches, before he notices a beautiful woman Arielle (Marlohe) who shares a cigarette with him, wanting to see her again, he does only to learn that she is married with children and the two get to spend two hours together.

The two do start an affair between the hours of 5 and 7 which sees them even meeting each other’s family including Arielle’s husband Valery (Lambert) and Brian’s parents Arlene (Close) and Sam (Langella).

Thoughts on 5 to 7

Characters – Brian Bloom is a struggling author in New York City, he likes to search for stories around the city, he ends up meeting a beautiful French woman, taking a chance that she has one that he hasn’t seen before, he gets caught up in the middle of an unconventional relationship which sees him being welcomed into the family despite her being married, he is caught up in what could be, he doesn’t want to see the bigger picture, even though his work starts to get recognised only for him to know he has found a new story. Arielle is a married French woman that is in New York, she spends time looking for strangers in what is her free time, she enjoys her time with Brian despite being married with children, she shows Brian a different life and culture, which sees the two different cultures being about what could have been. Jane is a woman that Valery is seeing on the side, she knows the situation that Brian is in with Arielle’s husband. Arlene and Sam are Brian’s parents that don’t approve of his decision, you do feel like they might have had a bigger impact on things too, but we don’t see it.

Performances – Anton Yelchin once again shows the world what we are missing since his death, he gives us such a grounded performance that will make it easy to identify with. Berenice Marlohe is wonderful too, with the two having excellent chemistry through the film. The supporting cast all get their scenes and don’t put a foot wrong in this film, they will get the messages they need to over in the smaller scenes.

Story – The story here follows two strangers that meet in New York, they get involved in a complicated relationship which sees them needing to play by rules, with the clash of cultures being questioned at all times. This is a story about relationships, stories and talking to people. We do get to see how sometimes things can become more complicated than they need to, learn the chances can’t always be taken, because of certain things holding people back and people will to just be friends at times. This shows us that you never know what you could miss in life, if you don’t look and see what is in front of you.

Comedy/Romance – The comedy in this film comes from the days of enjoyment you see Brian and Arielle have together, they make each other laugh more than the rest of their lives, the romance here shows how you could meet somebody that make you see life in a different way, one whose vision you want to spend your life with.

Settings – New York is a setting I have always said makes a beautiful location and one that will always be perfect for a romantic backdrop.


Scene of the Movie – Tasting test.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The aging on Brian, looks to dramatic.

Final Thoughts – This is a wonderful look at a relationship people can have, it shows us just how you could meet somebody out of nowhere and the chemistry between the two leads is fantastic.

Overall: Lovely drama.