★ 6 / 10
A very hallmark movie.
RimZorD
Let's be honest, neither Hallmark, Lifetime or UpTv (to name a few) are very creative when it comes to plots. However, this is not a bad movie in general…
Let's be honest, neither Hallmark, Lifetime or UpTv (to name a few) are very creative when it comes to plots. However, this is not a bad movie in general terms.
So, yes, it's another seasonal storyline involving some family feud and inconsecuential competitions. Another reviewer said it was a boring movie because he didn't care much about olive oil. I couldn't help but laugh, because most of these type of films involves things like that: pumpking pies; cranberries; maple syrup and a big etcetera. It's always the biggest and most important competition.... but you end up seing how many contestants? 3 or 4 at most, and less than 15 pleople in the public. But is what we are used to. You take it or leave it. I mean, we have seen way too many films based on small towns with plots like "save christmas", "save the anual celebration", "let's plan the town's dance".... and you end up watching less than 15 people in it.
So, my point: The plot is simple, non creative, but it works for this kind of movies (seasonal romance). The main characters were ok. Chemistry between them was just fine... not amazing, but certainly better than at least 30 other hallmark movies I've seen.
About the gay couple (which as being bashed by some old-dynosaur-school reviewers . Shame on you), I think both actors were great and their chemistry was quite good. Everything about them was very subtle (maybe way too subtle) and it was treated naturally, avoiding stereotypes, just how it should be.
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★ 7 / 10
Not an original, but good nonetheless.
savethewatchmaker
I'm actually surprised by the high number of reviews completely pummeling this movie considering it's no worse or better than Hallmark's usual fare. While I do…
I'm actually surprised by the high number of reviews completely pummeling this movie considering it's no worse or better than Hallmark's usual fare. While I do agree that Love Under the Olive Tree is blatant plagiarism off of some of Hallmark's previous movies (although I'm amazed that no one mentioned Pumpkin Pie Wars, as the feuding families trope and Romeo-and-Juliet romance is very reminiscent of it), I actually think this movie is above some of the ones it's copied off of, which earns it a decent score in my book. The actors are believable, the setting is beautiful, the olive oil storyline is different and unique, and the scene in which the grandfathers reunite after years of bad blood is very heartwarming. Also, there are sprinkles of an LGBTQ romance in the periphereals of this movie, and although I would've preferred for Hallmark to drop the hints near the end and confirm it outright, that sort of forward movement -- no matter how slow and/or miniscule -- cannot be undervalued!
On the negative side, outside of the deja vu feeling longtime Hallmark watchers were all no doubt affected with while watching this copy of a copy, this movie seriously downgraded one of its major talents by sticking Shawn Roberts in a side role. He's very charming as the leading man, and definitely much more so than Benjamin Hollingsworth, who was a bit stiff in comparison. The plot itself also could've been a bit stronger, specifically the fact that the entire movie is based around such a tiny land dispute that, by not resolving it civilly, all the characters are made to seem extremely juvenile. The piece of land in question is such an insignificant sliver that both sides of the family could afford to let it go. The female protagonist claims there isn't enough money in the company budget to build the expansion anywhere but connected to the existing building, but apparently no other sides are viable options, only the specific section currently in legal contention. The movie also falls into the most tired plot device of them all: the miscommunication-by-eavesdropping plot, which manufactures trouble between the two leads at exactly the wrong moment. Lastly, leading lady Nicole spends the entire movie trying to create the perfect olive oil for the town contest, but always finds some crucial ingredient missing from the blend. She produces this elusive, magical olive oil mere seconds before the contest begins, but the audience never knows a) what the special missing ingredient is or b) how she even figured out what it is. This epiphany moment is completely (and sadly) missing from the movie.
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80%
AUDIENCE
6.2/10
1.3K
