Back to Luke and April
April Littleton (Bree Williamson - The Wrong Nanny) is a top fashion photographer who always has a job offer on the cards, except she is finding life taking photos of models in designer clothes unrewarding. It is then she gives her old friend, Julia Robbins (Ella Thomas), a call and who pleads with her to come back for her home town's centenary celebration which her husband Frank (Cassius Willis), the mayor, is in charge of. Initially unsure as she hasn't been home since her relationship with Luke Dwyer (Jason Dohring) ended she finally decides to head back. But April's return home stokes up some old memories and feelings for many, especially for April who finds herself becoming torn between her new life and the life she left behind.
I wonder if the movie guys over at the Hallmark Channel keep tabs on how many times they rework the same basic storyline. I am sure they do and I would love to know how many times they have used the "successful city woman heading back to where she grew up and finding old feelings rekindled" storyline. What that means when it comes to "Portrait of Love" is that we are in familiar territory and I can almost hear the audible sigh from those who don't care for Hallmark movies especially when they use such a familiar story basis as this does. But I along with others enjoy these types of movies and once in a while something innocent and easy to watch goes down well with me.
Now I am not going to give the game away completely but whilst "Portrait of Love" has all the familiar aspects when it comes to April returning to where she grew up and not only falling back in love with the gentler pace of life but also having her feelings rekindled for former love of her life Luke, who in typical fashion is not only a widow but a father of a young girl, there is an extra element. That extra element revolves around Luke's mum, played by Frances Fisher, as she is shocked when April returns to town and her shock might be connected to what went wrong when their relationship ended.
What this all boils down to is that "Portrait of Love" is another Hallmark movie which uses a familiar story of the city girl, the home town, the old love rekindled but it manages to add one further element which just gives it enough mystery to stop it from being completely predictable from start to finish.
