Iceland does a TREMENDOUS JOB making up for an otherwise mundane love story. If you don't already yearn for a trip to Iceland, this movie will change your mind with all of its stunning shots of Icelandic nature and architecture. I give Hallmark kudos for hiring real Icelandic actors (this would seem like a given but you never know with Hallmark) and giving a genuine effort to show off Icelandic food and culture. I would LOVE to see more movies taking place overseas instead of just the usual procedure of shooting in Canada but pretending to be somewhere in the US. (That being said, Iceland would never have this much daylight during the winter.)
Outside of the incredible scenery, however, this movie is nothing special. Its boring love story in which two exes reunite on a trip is saved purely by the setting. What is infinitely more romantic than rekindling love with an ex in Iceland? Falling in love with a sweet tour guide in Iceland. The fact that this fantasy fulfillment was completely thrown aside in favor of the blander option is borderline baffling. Johann the unbelievably thoughtful and handsome tour guide instead gets romance with another character, which is a side story that quickly gets much more interesting than the romance between the leads. (Falling in love with a kind and good-looking native while on vacation is the plot that makes the Hallmark movie "Paris, Wine, and Romance" so good.)
Not only does the main couple lack chemistry, but their story falls flat, made worse by the overused trope of "character A overhears character B saying something that leads to a horrible misunderstanding" (which is completely pushed under the rug without explanation by the end of the movie). This misunderstanding leads to the male lead running off to accept a job across the world, but ultimately changing his mind before he leaves. This extremely unprofessional behavior is completely unnecessary; as pointed out by another reviewer, surely he could've finished a job that would've taken a few days of work at most and then returned to confess his love?
Regardless of its faults, the bland love story still survives because of the beautiful country it's told in. Worth a watch just to see Iceland.
Outside of the incredible scenery, however, this movie is nothing special. Its boring love story in which two exes reunite on a trip is saved purely by the setting. What is infinitely more romantic than rekindling love with an ex in Iceland? Falling in love with a sweet tour guide in Iceland. The fact that this fantasy fulfillment was completely thrown aside in favor of the blander option is borderline baffling. Johann the unbelievably thoughtful and handsome tour guide instead gets romance with another character, which is a side story that quickly gets much more interesting than the romance between the leads. (Falling in love with a kind and good-looking native while on vacation is the plot that makes the Hallmark movie "Paris, Wine, and Romance" so good.)
Not only does the main couple lack chemistry, but their story falls flat, made worse by the overused trope of "character A overhears character B saying something that leads to a horrible misunderstanding" (which is completely pushed under the rug without explanation by the end of the movie). This misunderstanding leads to the male lead running off to accept a job across the world, but ultimately changing his mind before he leaves. This extremely unprofessional behavior is completely unnecessary; as pointed out by another reviewer, surely he could've finished a job that would've taken a few days of work at most and then returned to confess his love?
Regardless of its faults, the bland love story still survives because of the beautiful country it's told in. Worth a watch just to see Iceland.