'Stranded in Paradise' (2014)
Opening thoughts: Was very mixed on 'Stranded in Paradise'. It is not an awful film and has a number of good things, but it also has a number of big flaws that made it very hard for me to properly connect with it. As far as the 2014 Hallmark films go (which as said has been very variable, which has been true of all the succeeding years too), it is one of the middling ones and when it comes to either extremes of relatable and moving and too sentimental, melodramatic or unrealistic both extremes can be seen here.
Good things: Am going to begin with the good things. Actually thought that the acting was well above average, with both Vanessa Marcil and James Denton giving very natural committed performances. Denton, as the far more likeable characters, is subtly charismatic, sympathetic and easy going, and while her character is frustrating Marcil is very heartfelt. Their chemistry is low key but didn't seem stiff or ring false. The supporting cast are more than competent.
Puerto Rico itself is the star here, it looks absolutely stunning and is complemented beautifully by the photography. There are cute, movingly sincere and subtly amusing moments here and there.
Bad things: However, there are things that don't work. Marcil's character is truly frustrating, too erratic, whiny and constantly makes idiotic decisions that make no sense. This is especially apparent with the too unrealistically neat ending, where the final decision felt too sudden and went against what was shown before. The characters are too underdeveloped to make one connect properly with them. The direction is undistinguished and while the music isn't unpleasant it is repetitive.
Did find the script unnatural sounding and overdone on the corn and sentimentality. The story can be very dully paced and soapy and the idiotic decision making and numerous continuity errors make it unrealistic at times too. Despite Puerto Rico looking stunning, the film doesn't do a good job representing it elsewhere and it feels very inauthentic and it could have been set anywhere-like.
Concluding thoughts: Concluding, watchable but didn't come together.
5/10.
