Sweeter Than Chocolate movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Sweeter Than Chocolate

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this romantic comedy is now available on the Hallmark movie channel.

RATING: TV-G

LENGTH: 1 hour 24 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this sweet rom-com was directed by David Weaver and based on the novel. It’s being aired on the Hallmark movie channel as the first one of four movies in the “Loveuary” lineup. It’s the story of a TV reporter who goes to investigate a local bakery that is rumored to have the secret recipe to finding true love on Valentine’s Day.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be bored.
There is a gay couple that talks about how they met. They kiss.
An old lesbian couple talks about how they met.

THEMES:

Being open to love
Chocolate
Fear of failure
Change
Myths vs. Truth
Love and loss
Bravery
Willing to risk everything to believe in love
Magic

THINGS I LIKED:

I used to teach classes at the famous Le Cordon Bleu Culinary College! Yep, I have the weight gain to prove it too. We had an incredible chocolatier there who now has her own tea house in Las Vegas called Queen of Hearts, featuring some beautiful chocolates and other delights. Check it out! Tell Chef Sweetster that I sent you. Yes! That’s her real name! Amazing, right?
The cast of this movie includes mostly new faces unless you’re already a Hallmark fan. The one you’ll probably recognize is Brenda Strong because she was in Desperate Housewives. Also in the cast are Eloise Mumford, Dan Jeannotte, Christin Park, and Linda Ko.
The two romantic leads DO have chemistry. I thought their romance was believable.
Hallmark always cracks me up with their play on names for their characters. Lucy, the chocolatier, explains how her grandmother changed their family’s last name to sweet because it would make a good story in the chocolate business. The male lead is Dean Chase, a reporter who is always “chasing” a story and his dream of becoming a news anchor.
The two bosses in the film are both women.
I loved the reveal of the secret ingredient in “Cupid’s Chocolates.” Maybe I was feeling extra emotional, but it actually brought tears to my eyes.
Sometimes, romantic movies like this one can paint a very rosy picture of “living happily ever after.” One of the elements of the story I thought was great was that it didn’t gloss over the hard things about relationships and marriage. There is talk of the death of a loved one and how much pain that brought. Others talk about how hard love can be but that it’s worth it. All true.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

At the beginning of the movie, a character reads a letter that explains the rent for the store is going to increase 62% every month. That’s insane. Did the writers not understand what that math would mean?
Two characters state that people over 20 years and 40 years don’t eat milk chocolate. Why? Weird. I love milk chocolate. Don’t you?
It always bugs me that the female protagonists in Hallmark movies are so serious and easily overwhelmed by problems, while the male protagonists are much more playful and entertaining.
I wish there had been more humor.

FUNNY LINES:

“You’re so bossy.” – Dean Chase (Dan Jeannotte) “I AM the boss.” – Lucy Sweet (Eloise Mumford)

INTERESTING LINES:

“You gotta have chemistry.” – Serena (Christin Park)
“Love is work.” – Anna (Michele Tredger)
“Love takes off the mask.” – Sadie (Olivia Kate Latridis)
“You can’t go through life avoiding things that might bring you pain. You’ll miss out on what it has to offer.” – Helen Sweet (Brenda Strong)
“Love is worth the grief.” – Helen Sweet (Brenda Strong)