How to Fall in Love (2012) Eric Mabius, Brooke D'Orsay, Jody Thompson, Gina Holden, Panou, Kathy Najimy Movie Review

How to Fall in Love (2012)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Eric Mabius and Brooke D'Orsay in How to Fall in Love (2012)

Dating without a Hitch

At school Harold (Eric Mabius - A Christmas Wedding) took Annie (Brooke D'Orsay - Miss Christmas) to the Freshman dance, but Harold was awkward and things didn't go as smoothly as he hoped they would. Many years later, and having become an accountant and business consultant, Harold is still awkward around women and has even been advised by a friend to see a dating consultant, which didn't go well. But then Annie re-enters Harold's life having returned to their hometown and in need of a job she persuades Harold to let her be his dating coach with her friend Kim (Kathy Najimy - WALL·E) prepped to be his practice date. But as Annie sets about re-inventing Harold and boosting his confidence around women sparks fly and they must be careful that they don't let their old ways and views spoil what the future may hold for them.

If you walk in to a McDonalds what do you expect; burger, fries and a milkshake you certainly don't go in there expecting Foie gras, Duck Confit, Cristal and fine dining. So why would anyone watch a romantic comedy on the Hallmark Channel and expect anything other than familiar, easy to watch and doesn't make you think about it for more than a few minutes after the movie has finished. Yet frequently I find opinions of these Hallmark movies which moan about all the things that you should expect from them; simply you watch a Hallmark romantic comedy not to be surprised but to enjoy both their inoffensive nature and the familiarity.

That brings me to "How to Fall in Love" a movie which in minutes of it starting and we witness the awkward Harold suffering a humiliating High School date with Annie you know that these two will finish the movie together. And a few minutes later when we have jumped to the present as Annie suggests she turns herself into "Hitch", I mean she becomes Harold's dating consultant, you know that during the 8 lessons which she comes up with she will end up falling for Harold who obviously still has a thing for her in his incredibly reserved way. Of course there will be some issues along the way because romance never runs smoothly but "How to Fall in Love" never delivers more than what you expect or should expect from a Hallmark movie.

But as I said you watch a Hallmark romantic comedy expecting the obvious and watch because of the appealing cast looking great in perfect clothes, the manufactured scenes of romance and the fact that the most challenging the movie will be is thinking of what other movies it reminds you of. And "How to Fall in Love" ticks those boxes with Eric Mabius and Brooke D'Orsay delivering that Hallmark appeal as in they play nice characters, look good and can pull of wearing smart clothes without it looking out of place.

What this all boils down to is that "How to Fall in Love" is everything you expect from a Hallmark movie and as such it is easy to watch and doesn't make you think about what you have watched afterwards. So if you want more than easy going obviousness you had better look elsewhere.


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