Love by Design (2014) Giulia Nahmany, Jane Seymour, David Oakes, Alexandra Weaver, Olivia Hallinan, David Lipper, Andrew Pleavin Movie Review

Love by Design (2014)   3/53/53/53/53/5


David Oakes and Giulia Nahmany in Love by Design (2014)

When in Romania

Having been dumped by her boyfriend, Danielle (Giulia Nahmany), a fashion editor for a top New York magazine, finds that her boss, Vivien (Jane Seymour - A Royal Christmas), has stolen some of her design ideas and in a moment of anger sees Danielle lose it and her job. Needing some time out Danielle returns home to Romania where she finds that life in bustling Manhattan has changed her and she feels a bit of a fish out of water. But the return home has the desired affect as not only does she get to focus on her clothes designs but she also meets Adrian (David Oakes), a handsome Brit, and a romance quickly blossoms. But events surrounding the local clothes factory and a return to New York as a successful fashion designer could throw a spanner in the works.

"Love by Design" was shown on the UP network but it is a movie which would have been just at home if it had been shown on the Hallmark channel as it is that sort of movie which is familiar. That is a nice way of saying it is a movie built on cliches so here we have the cliches of the woman whose life hasn't gone to plan in the city and so returns home where she not only finds career success but also romance although typically there are some bumps in the road when love and career cross whilst combined with jumping to conclusions. And as such "Love by Design" has the possibility of entertaining those who enjoy the easy going nature and familiarity of a made for TV romantic comedy.

But "Love by Design" does have a USP, a small one but still one to try and make it stand out from the crowd. That USP is that typically in these sorts of romantic comedies when a career and romance fails in the city the person in question returns to their roots in America but here Danielle is a Romanian and so returns home to Romania where she is now a fish out of water. It gives it a touch of the culture clash comedy but nothing which causes the movie to break away from being anything other than easy going and familiar.

What this all boils down to is that "Love by Design" offers up little which fans of romantic comedies won't have seen before. But like many a romantic comedy it is the familiarity of this which makes it easy to watch even though it has some issues, including some of the acting being on the over the top side.


LATEST REVIEWS