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TheresaWhetstone
I’ve a passion for dusty westerns and classic film noir well-known for impacting viewers on adages and pearls of wisdom. But I’m also planning to capture reviews of other genres as well.
For instance, I’m not a big fan of the musical genre, yet one of my top favorite movies of all time is a musical starring the legendary Julie Andrews.
Another musical example includes the soundtrack “Somewhere�, which I think is a melodic masterpiece that far exceeds its message to transcend love across time, culture, gender, religion and more.
I was floored when someone once said to me that once they watch a movie, that’s it... kaput... the end. They don’t want to watch it ever again. And I categorically disagree.
I’ve watched different films several times, and each time, I discover something new, something I’ve missed. Some gem.
I’m hoping my synopsis contributions will pique someone’s interest in a film or actor or inspire someone to watch or rewatch a film enjoying a leisure hour or two or a marathon of discovery and excitement.
So, grab the popcorn, snuggle in your fave chair and Let it Roll!!
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Beauty and the Billionaire: Bali (2024)
Big Clash of Beauty and the Billionaire
Beauty and the Billionaire: Bali is about a doctor, Ivy (played by Charlotte Hemmings), who practices at a clinic in Indonesia which desperately needs funding to keep operating.
Dylan (portrayed by Samuel Whitten) is the billionaire who desperately needs positive publicity for his company as it faces negative headlines due to financial irregularities. He thinks offering funding to the little clinic would be a great move to make his company appear in a positive light.
The meet and greet between the two MCs was a disaster, ending in Dylan storming out of the clinic threatening to cancel funding.
In the meantime, his uncle Blake, Dylan's confidant and right-hand man in the company falls and hits his head developing a concussion.
After treatment at the very clinic he stormed out of, Dylan insists that Ivy drop her patients and stay in the villa with them to care for his uncle around-the-clock.
Yes there was the educated, caring beauty (Ivy) who would only take so much from the billionaire before a well-deserved clap back.
And yes, there was the cold, heartless rich guy (Dylan) who only thought of himself and treating everyone else as though they were put on the earth as an afterthought.
And of course, there was the back-and-forth dialog between the MCs gradually leading to the realization that opposites really do attract even ones who appear totally polar.
What happens afterwards is a journey neither one saw coming.
"Bali" captured the spectacular landscapes and touched on challenges facing the community. The film's pace may be a bit slow at some points, but that should be no surprise in tropical spaces.
This 2024 Beauty and the Billionaire: Bali has no character relations to the original Beauty and the Billionaire (also written by Brittany Wiscombe) released in 2022 other than the film's preface.
As of this writing, IMDB has no rating for this movie.
I would rate this movie a solid 6.0 for two reasons, 1) The beautiful scenery and 2) without giving too much away, the surprise motive of one of the characters.
Check out Beauty and The Billionaire: Bali. That surprise motive and ending alone makes "Bali" worth the watch.
The Presence of Love (2022)
This is No Romcom! But Worth the Watch!
A professor, Joselyn, travels to England to fulfil a quest she'd made with her mum, to someday visit the farm where her mum grew up.
Carol, Jos's mum, who died the year before, had already set in motion plans (plane tickets, reservations, etc) to turn that someday into reality.
In this Hallmark movie, each of the 4 main characters had intertwining challenges to overcome:
Jos suffered from anxiety attacks. Her journey to England included using the peace and fresh air of the countryside to write a research paper that would level her up to tenure. As a guest on the farm, Jos knew she had to return to the states in two weeks, but she found herself falling for the caretaker and his little girl.
Global marketer Daniel's career direction was re-directed to find a way to help his mother make the farm profitable. But his mother Merryn, holding on to the old ways, strongly resisted his idea for change. Daniel was also hit with the realization that his daughter was struggling in school and at the same time, the new guest was capturing his heart.
Merryn, Daniel's mother, cherishes the memory of her husband but often used his memory to guilt Daniel. She resists change to the farm and she doesn't support the growing feelings between Jos and Daniel as she is absolutely sure their "guest" will leave him like his wife did.
I loved little Teagan, Daniel's daughter, who really likes Jos. But Teagan faces her own challenges... dyslexia and knowing she will be faced with reading a poem during the upcoming Literary Festival.
Will Jos be able to help Teagan?
Will Merryn be able to put her differences aside and support her son?
Will Daniel be able to save the farm?
Will Jos secure tenure and continue her life in the States?
This Hallmark movie was no romcom. Nor was it a mystery. But it had a little drama, mystery, fantasy and of course romance.
There was no huge fight or romantic rival to break up the two MCs. This was a journey of people trying to find themselves and trying to find their way.
IMDB rates The Presence of Love a 7.1. I would drop it no lower than 6.8 for three reasons -1) The dialect was a hard for me to get use to and the pace of the movie was a bit slow -2) But a big plus was I loved the landscapes and being out in nature -3) the final boost is that I just like Eloise Mumford movies especially A Veteran's Christmas which was also an emotional Hallmark movie.
Go ahead and pick your day and time, The Presence of Love will be waiting for you.
Cinderella in the Caribbean (2023)
It's Cinderella with a Tropical Twist
Cinderella in the Caribbean is a blend of fantasy meets romance, good vs not-so-good and the entitled receiving their comeuppance.
Ashlyn, portrayed by Emma Reinagel, is a hard working student living stateside and supporting herself toward her college degree.
Out of the blue, enter her "evil" stepmother, Miriam, who announces she's getting married again in one week and insists Ashlyn drop everything and come be present at her destination wedding.
Ashlyn quickly finds out that the invitation was not extended because of motherly-love, but because Miriam's fiancé (Bruce) is insisting that Ashlyn join them at their rented villa in the Caribbean for family bonding during the nuptial preparations.
Next we meet the evil step children, a step-sister (Fiona) and a step-brother (Jerry) both playing their parts admirably. Their animosity and jealousy toward Ashlyn only get worse as the week progresses.
Then we meet Bruce's son, Noah. The kind-hearted and cute Noah (portrayed by romance new-comer Conor McGee) senses immediately that there is something off about his new, happy family.
Miriam has a motive for marrying Bruce, and I'm here to tell ya it's not for love. She's about to find out that wealthy, good guy Bruce is no fool.
Kudos to writer/actress Brittany Wiscombe for not only this contemporary take on an old tale, but spinning the same trope in her 2018 adaptation "Not Cinderella's Type," also a good watch.
So, my verdict on the Caribbean version?
IMDB gives Cinderella in the Caribbean a rating of 6.3. I think it deserves a higher rating of 7.5 and a place in your plans for a don't-bother-me weekend escape.
Lethal Obsession (2007)
There was so much LYING!!
There were tons of extra lying in this psycho thriller.
At 53 seconds into the movie hubby called wife and told the first lie.
At 1:01 he repeated the lie.
Then she lied twice to cover up his 2 lies.
From there on it was a slippery slope of all kinds of lying by just about everyone in the movie.
I briefly thought about counting all the lies. Then I knew I didn't have that much time in my life and decided to just let sleeping dogs uhh -- lie. Sorry, that's a different kind of lie, but I couldn't resist.
Maybe this movie should have been titled, Lethal Lies.
Well to the backstory: The MCs were brother Drew (Adam MacDonald) and sister Nina (Kellie Martin). Both were repeatedly abused and traumatized by their alcoholic father as children. In a final act of retaliation, Drew killed both parents by causing a house fire.
He later was sent to juvenile prison for stabbing a man who roughed up Nina. After his return, two people they both knew vanished including Nina's boyfriend whom Drew did not like.
Nina had to get away - changing her identity, her job, her location to build a whole new life to protect those around her from her extremely disturbed brother.
Now years later, Nina had a family and a good job. But Drew after much searching finally found her and discovered her handsome doctor husband wasn't making Nina happy...
Drew was boyishly handsome with a disarming smile which of course made him appear a most unlikely killer. But big sister Nina had a protective streak of her own and wasn't afraid to go all in to protect the ones she loved.
This 2007 release was 9 years before Hallmark's Haley Dean Mysteries, but even back then, this Kellie Martin character wasn't afraid to show she could push back when pushed.
IMDB's average rating for this movie is 5.1. In my viewing experience, I'm going to bump it up to 6.5.
Fashionably Yours (2020)
A Nice Surprise - Does Not Go In the Direction You Would Think
Hallmark's Fashionably Yours was not what I expected.
Based on the title, instead of lots of fashion-esque scenes like models and runways, bad guy stealing design portfolio and coveting racks of inventory for an upcoming gala (which there is nothing wrong with that since it is supposed to be a fashion-based movie), there was actually very little of that or none at all.
What we got was an emerging fashion writer meets professional mover / part-time baseball coach who happens to be her boss's cousin.
Storyline had no bad guys. There were no major misunderstandings.
There was no real separation of the main characters.
Yes there was an ex in his past who soured him on long-distance relationships. And she had a teenage crush who fell back in her life, but was he good for her now?
But the real spice of this movie was the chemistry of the MCs, Lauren (Kat Graham) and Rob (Kendrick Sampson).
I don't recall seeing either MCs in other projects, but for this movie, I thought they had an amazing on-screen connection.
I just loved his charm and the way he respected her. And I liked the way she treated him and how she easily came up with a plan to help him solve his problem (almost too easy breezy... you'll see).
Though IMDB's rating was a 6.2, I'm going to raise this rom-com up about 2 notches and give Fashionably Yours an 8.0 hands down.
It's worth a watch.
The Andy Griffith Show: Irresistible Andy (1960)
Much Ado About Ellie
This 5th episode of Season 1 ranks at the top of my list as knee-slappin' hilarious in this highly popular tv comedy which ran from 1960 to 1968.
In this episode, the typically fun-loving, level-headed Andy makes an entire mountain out of a molehill, and I mean an itty-bitty molehill.
You see irresistible is what Andy is, or so he thinks. In her second appearance as the new lady druggist, Ellie butts heads with Andy big time.
Synopsis. Sherriff Andy Taylor is convinced that the new town pharmacist, Ellie Walker is out to snag him. And in a classic scene worthy of an Academy Award, bachelor Andy talks himself into believing that Ellie and her uncle Fred, conspired to bait a trap and reel him in for the ultimate catch: matrimony.
And every bit of evidence seems fits too; her walking in at the right time (pitiful-like), her smile, her Uncle talking up the dance, her perfume, her anticipating what he was going to ask, and finally her offering Opie a free ice cream cone.
That did it!
He sets a plan in motion that will steer Ellie directly into the arms of another.
However, his plan had a major flaw... 6-year-old Opie who innocently spills the whole plan to Ellie.
SHE-WAS-LIVID! And her revenge was diabolically, "sweet."
Keep watching and you'll find the true conspirators weren't Ellie and her Uncle Fred. They were more so Andy and Aunt Bee!
This episode is a classic example of how people can create unnecessary chaos when jumping to conclusions.
A watch well worth your time.
10/10.
A Match Made at Christmas (2021)
In Love With The Music!
A Match Made At Christmas starring Micah Lynn Hanson and Tim Llewellyn. This was a cozy Christmas movie but could have been so much better.
Holly, a Laura Branigan-esque resemblance, even had a scene with an off the shoulder sweater, was sweet running around trying to please everybody.
But Chris temporarily in town with a backstory of family and job issues, I though played a little too stern, too stiff to the point of appearing disturbed. It was definitely not love at first sight. At least not for him. It was more like clash of the titans.
Lori, the mother played by actress Shannon Dowling looked too young and amazing to have a child Holly's age. She was the level-head, the shoulder everyone leaned on.
The thing that wowed me was the beauty of the music. And I mean throughout the movie. The entire score. Hats off to Tyler Michael Smith for doing an amazing job. Typically, these Christmas movies have these flowing, magical soundtracks particularly the opening scenes and moments of reckoning.
This one caught my attention throughout. Wouldn't mind these sounds piping throughout the house while we entertained at Christmas (love Christmas songs).
I thought Holly put herself out there too much for Chris and he in turn did not treat her well enough to capture her heart.
Gunsmoke: A Man a Day (1961)
Opening Scene Itself is Better than Entire Movies
PLOT (Possible Spoilers)
This episode's opening scene is probably one of the most hilarious of any Gunsmoke folly I've had the pleasure to watch.
Chester and Doc are headed to a "friendly" game of billiards. But Chester gets unexpectantly side-tracked by a new face in town, a woman named Bessie Lee.
Suddenly, Chester and Doc's friendly game is replaced by a Chester and Bessie's friendly talk. Poor neglected Doc has no other choice but to quietly shuffle out the billiard hall.
But don't let this light-heartedness trick you.
As the story develops, Bessie's friendliness is just a front for a deadly gang, one of the most dangerous Dodge has ever seen.
Murder and mayhem suddenly surround the town of Dodge and of course only one man can lead the fight to justice, Marshal Matt Dillon.
THOUGHTS/INSIGHTS
I'm a big fan of these black and white episodes and this one in season 7 introduced us to a young Leonard Nimoy, 5 years before his iconic role of Mister Spock on the original Star Trek TV show.
He went on to guest star on Gunsmoke 3 more times, the last in 1966, the same year he began his odyssey on a new frontier.
MUST WATCH SCALE: 10/10
A Man A Day was my favorite episode until it was edged out by Old Yellow Boots. Both of these episodes have a strong female lead, yet both are every bit as hard hitting. Others may disagree, but for me... Entertaining, must see.
Gunsmoke: Old Yellow Boots (1961)
Old Yellow Boots Has it All - A Love Affair, Murder for Hire, Revenge
When headstrong Beulah Parker meets shady drifter Frank Cassidy, it's love at first sight. She wants a husband, and he wants a meal ticket. But one thing stands in her way... her sniveling, bellyaching brother Leroy, whom she hates with a passion.
She has no power to do as she pleases because Leroy owns the farm where they live.
Soon a pair of saddle tramps arrive in Dodge immediately causing a ruckus on Front Street. When Marshal Matt Dillon intervenes and the dust clears, Beulah realizes she can hire these shady characters to kill her brother so she can be free to marry Frank.
Unbeknownst to Beulah, Frank killed an old man on the prairie just before arriving in Dodge.
And unbeknownst to Frank, Beulah paid $200 for Leroy's murder.
Within mere hours of Leroy's death, the "happy" couple get engaged. But Matt becomes suspicious of Frank's possible involvement with two recent killings, the old man on the prairie and Beulah's brother. It's too co-incidental.
So, he tries to delay the marriage to investigate further and protect Beulah.
But Beulah doesn't want protection, she's set on marrying Frank as soon as possible. Desperate, she hires the same two gunmen to murder the one man who now stands in her way, Marshal Matt Dillon, upping the ante to $500.
THOUGHTS
Actress Joanne Linville delivered a stellar performance as the distraught Beulah Parker, doing all the wrong things to right her lonely existence. She would guest star in two more episodes of Gunsmoke, but this performance was by far her best.
So why the title Old Yellow Boots? When Leroy was murdered, one of the gunmen wore old yellow boots which left a unique boot impression near the body.
MUST WATCH SCALE: 10/10
Excellent story, a fantastic cast, and an explosive ending, this Gunsmoke episode should be on the must watch playlist.