Co-incidentally, this is the third Dennis Andres Reel One movie I've seen this month and set up is very much like Blueprint To The Heart ie a professional women is employed to supposedly improve a fella. Hint Of Love is the better of the two, but not quite as good as Colours of Love - although the title fits much better! The above flicks are all-age viewable, but HoL & CoL are multigenerational. The battle is probably more original in this film: Posh chef v single dad quick meals and I think many viewers with all kinds of time limits will connect with the Dad - I'd buy his cook book!
Hint of Love
2020
Action / Comedy / Romance
Hint of Love
2020
Action / Comedy / Romance
Keywords: seattle, usa
Plot summary
Cordon Bleu trained Becky Bayer works as an editor and agent at Keyner and Smith, a high end cookbook publisher in Seattle, their products more aspirational cookbooks destined for coffee tables than well dog eared books one would pull off the shelf to prepare a home cooked meal. She is renowned for being the best not only for her knowledge of cooking and cuisines, but her attention to details, especially authenticity. Much to her chagrin as her much desired promotion to partner rests on its success, her boss Marty assigns her to work on the next cookbook of television chef Will Fryer, someone generally outside of the company's stable of authors, he more a celebrity hack than real chef. Not trained, Will, a widowed father to adolescent David, got into the business of cooking solely to get quick and easy meals on the table that David would eat, as such Will taking shortcuts of canned and prepared ingredients. While Will's fans love him and his cookbooks successful, those in the culinary business, including Becky's latest boyfriend, food critic Robert Flannigan, don't in the food not being either good or healthy. While Becky and Will have the same goal of elevating this next cookbook, they butt heads in having different ideas of what that actually means within their well-defined brands. Also making it difficult is that Will has decided to make this book on southwest cooking having spent some time in New Mexico as a child, Becky whose family is also from there, she who would focus on that cuisine if she ever opened her dream restaurant. As Becky and Will try to bridge the gap between them, they may discover something missing in their lives in losing track of personal goals.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Tech specs
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Believable story
Clumsy story
There have been a few movies with this premise. Publishing editor works with difficult chef to make a cookbook. The movie uses a few of the other plot devices that are common also.
I did not like the character Becky at the start of the movie. (Note to you flamers out there - that is not a reflection on the actor although I thought Deb Howard overplayed "stuck up" a little.) Yes Becky was supposed to be arrogant but I think it was too much and made Becky unlikeable. I will say I was surprised and glad to see that she stopped and listened when challenged to do so. And like most of these movies that start out with antagonism between the leads, that friction disappeared a little too quickly. Then without going into details, the conflict, climax, and ending were clumsily done.
Becky's 180 degree character change didn't make sense the way the movie was done. She starts out as a very accomplished and confident woman at the top of her game and proud of it. As I hinted, a little too proud of it. But clearly the entire package came from deep inside that person and from years of success. I don't think the movie made a case for why she would change so much of who that person was, especially her values.
Relationship is what makes these movies enjoyable and that was there. Howard and Dennis Andres had chemistry even when they were arguing. They had plenty of screen time together to work it.
The movie doesn't make as much use of Matteo Bolognese, the kid, as it could have, but what they did use, they used well, and less is more.
I'm a little sarcastic above about at least two reviewers flaming another review, apparently over being rude about Deb Howard. I don't see any review like that, so it must have been taken down. Actually, I agree that personal attacks unrelated to the acting are in poor taste, especially about things like voice or body type. (One of my very favorite actors has an unusual voice that some people don't like, but I love her work.)
A Winning Recipe
Dennis Andres shines in this entertaining and well-written TV romance. This is the second time I have seen him and he is even better in this one. He plays a cookbook author and blogger whose cooking is aimed at busy single fathers who want to serve up a home-cooked meal in less than 30 minutes. In order to expand his brand he gets hooked up with our Heroine who is a cordon-Bleu trained Cookbook editor who specializes in high end hoity-toity fare. Hilarity, conflict, and romance ensue.
As the down-to-earth rough around the edges hero, Will, Dennis Andres overflows with charm and appeal. He is attractive but not GQ male-model handsome. His line delivery is natural whether funny or heartfelt. A few times it sounded like he was ad-libbing his lines. I guess that means he is a good actor. As his love interest, Debs Howard is well cast with her patrician looks, and has a good character arc. At first, pretentious, snobby, and self-righteous (as Will tells her to her face),we learn that all is not what it seems on the surface. We find out she is from Albuquerque, her parents are down-home "just folks" and her abandoned dream is to open her own restaurant. The "opposites attract" chemistry between the two is right on and the kiss at the end was...yeah.
The script has some wit and good banter: "Who hates Nachos?! That's like hating Freedom!" Couldn't agree more. The initial hostility between the two food-lovers is well balanced. They are at odds but and both have some good points in their arguments. They gradually get on the same page through compromise and listening. There is some good conflict from a snooty boyfriend to a weasel of a boss, and cheer-worthy good triumphing over evil scenes at the end.
I will definitely be looking forward to more TV romances with this talented new-to-the-genre actor. Hope he isn't "discovered" too soon!