the audience applauded

Strictly average movie

Boring, long, and too preachy.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

I don't know why it is, but I have a not-so-secret appetite for movies where romance is served along-side the roulade and love is layered into the lasagna. "A Taste of Romance" is a pleasant little rom-com, somewhat pedestrian but served with heart and comfortingly familiar to the palate. The place-setting is overly formal, too clean (if such a thing is possible) and neat. The restaurants, the market, the apartments are all too obviously set-pieces. The required formulaic characters are all there, and you know exactly what's going to happen, but that is what comfort food is all about. Don't be mistaken; this movie is just that, comfort food, there are no exotic ingredients here, only familiar heart-warming fair served in the proper proportions,The casting follows the same recipe, charming and familiar. Well prepared, but nothing outstanding. Except possibly Bailee Madison who plays the daughter. At eighteen-years-old (twelve at the time this movie was shot) she has, in the dozen years of her career, racked up an impressive 50 acting credits, ten nominations, and five awards.

A Taste of Romance is one of the better made and more enjoyable Hallmark films. Sarah Westbrook (Teri Polo) and Gill Callahan (Jame Patrick Stuart) are complete opposites who own and run neighboring restaurants with polar-opposite strengths. Both characters initially seem unlikeable as they clash with each other, but we (the audience) start to genuinely like them as they first slowly learn to co-exist, and then become attracted to each other. The catalyst for their budding romance is Gill's young daughter, Hannah -who is beautifully acted by Bailee Madison.Indeed, a great strength of this movie is that it is well-acted and has characters you can believe in. Teri Polo does a fine job of portraying a complicated woman whose passions and hangups are a significant barrier to new romance. James Patrick Stuart manages to bring warmth and likability to the male romantic lead role. And Bailee Madison delivers one of the best and most believable depictions of a young child that I have seen in a Hallmark TV movie. I do wish there had been a bit more chemistry between the romantic leads - perhaps, a few more lingering looks, a few more tears when setbacks occur. But the feel-good ending is emotionally satisfying and delivers what the Hallmark audience wants. And the story that brings us to that ending never makes us roll our eyes in disbelief nor does it fail to hold our interest. A well-done movie!Recommended.

LOUD music. this TV movie's scenario premise is just too absurd. the guy, a widower with a teenage daughter, leased a space for his junk pizza business, from day 1 when he started the remodeling of his joint, he brought in radio and turned its volume to the extreme, bombarded the neighboring french restaurant. well, here's the first stupid arrangement to have a red-neck pizza joint next to a classy french restaurant. may i ask, what kind business neighborhood is this? how come a guy could be such an arse as a retired fireman when his neighbor complaining the loud and very disturbing music, his answer and response to such complaints would be, so what? this is a free country, i have the right to turn my music volume as loud as i like. no wonder this rude and arrogant bastard's wife would die so early. the causes of her death were obvious: his arrogance and his deafening loud music. the daughter role is very likable and, the french chef, a beautiful female, an American sweetheart, neither needed such arse to be either the father or the next-door neighbor business owner. file a complaint to the landlord and to the city for noise control code. romance? not in a million years!

For a TV movie, this was an engaging movie, but the highlight for me was Bailee Madison. Before this movie, I was not familiar with this very talented and versatile young actor, though now I realize that I have seen some of her other work. She was great! She convincingly rides the emotional gamut in a childlike manner that was refreshing. I found Teri Polo's acting a bit over the top with how uptight she was, but maybe there are actually people out there like that. She did refresh my "how to make a bechamel sauce" skills. Her assistant chef, Romy Rosemont, had perfect timing again and again, and was the one who consistently made me laugh. It is a movie with no real surprises, but for me, it hit the sweet spot on love.