The premise is not an original one, but sounded quite nice and had the potential to be thoughtfully and movingly done. Tyler Hynes is worth watching in many of his films, though there have been quite a few times where he is much better than the film itself. Am not as keen on Erin Krakow, when the character is well written she is good but when the character is not she can come over as too cold and passive. Enough of 2021's Hallmark films are worth a peek.
'It Was Always You' is one of those films that is worth a peek, but for me it isn't a must. My feelings veered between mixed to positive. As far as the 2021 Hallmark films go, 'It Was Always You' is not one of the best or one of the worst. As far as the 2021 Love Ever After entries go too (the only bad one that year being 'Beverly Hills Wedding'), it is one of the middle faring ones. It is a long way from flawless, but for me there was a lot to like about it and is namely carried by the leads and their chemistry.
Am going to start with the not so good things. The story does very little new, while it is a change of pace from the usual settings/scenarios seen typically with Hallmark there is very little doubt about how things will map out and how it would all end. Part of me felt that there were elements that could have gone into more depth and felt less hurried, especially the break up and the relationship's context (which to me was revealed a bit out of nowhere).
Giles Panton didn't seem comfortable and is on the bland side as a character that is a fairly tired variation of one of Hallmark's most overused character cliches. The final moments were a bit abrupt, despite being sweet.
However, there are many things that 'It Was Always You' does well. It's nicely shot and even better looking is the quite picturesque scenery. The music is not overused or intrusive, unlike some Hallmark films, and the film is competently directed throughout. The script is a nice mix of playfully comedic, charmingly romantic and not too schmaltzy sentiment.
Despite its predictability and imperfect pacing, the story is charming and light-hearted. The characters generally are worth caring for, excepting George. Krakow is neither cold or passive, she doesn't overdo it while not phoning it in. Hynes' character David is not easy to warm to at first but the character goes on a progression, something that Hynes brings out with easy charm. The chemistry between the two is strong, playful and with the right amount of heart the more it grows.
In summary, pleasant and inoffensive but didn't wow me. 6/10.
