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Bid for Love – Review
Bid for Love – BET – 2 hours and 25 minutes
After shopping for her future job in real estate, Sasha comes home and trips over garbage bags. Her boyfriend, Memphis, tells her don’t ask questions, to get her stuff, and get in the car. As they drive down the road, Sasha calls her friend, Jewel, to get the rest of her luggage. Then, armed men ambush Memphis and Sasha. While two men grab Memphis, one shoots Sasha in the shoulder.
Sasha wakes up, handcuffed to a hospital bed with detectives questioning her. They want to know how much information she has on Memphis’s drug business. Sasha says nothing and demands a lawyer. Five years later, Sasha calls Jewel from jail to confirm Sasha’s release pick-up. Jewel can’t make it, but she asked an old friend, Malik, to do it. Malik turns on the charm, but Sasha rejects him. Sasha is not over Memphis. Sasha learned Memphis died while she was in prison. Sasha’s goal is to find a job to adhere to her halfway house’s rules.
Sasha and Jewel reconnect, and Jewel offers Sasha a place to stay, clothes, and a car. Sasha humbly takes the gifts and makes herself comfortable. However, Jewel doesn’t tell Sasha the presents are from Malik. Malik comes to Sasha’s job and succeeds by getting a date with her. On their date, he offers her a position with a signing bonus, and she takes it. Sasha thinks she has her life on track, but Malik hides a dark side.
Based on Lawainna Patterson’s play, Bid for Love displays one woman’s trip through self-discovery. For years, Sasha allowed Memphis to take care of her. After some time in jail, Sasha repeats these mistakes with Malik but with detrimental consequences. This film will confuse you because there is zero conclusion, only more questions. If you like your endings is a neat bow, this movie will drive you up a wall. Rumor has it there will be a part two. And the sooner, the better.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars
I don’t have time for all your questions – Memphis
Chess, not checkers, right – Sasha
No matter how much success I have. I still don’t feel like I belong – Jewel
To our beautiful friendship and the future – Malik
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He’s Not Worth Dying For – Review
He’s Not Worth Dying For – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Isla got emancipated at 15, following her father’s mental breakdown after her mom left. Isla lives in an apartment, works at a diner to make ends meet, and sees her father often but has a closer connection to her followers. Isla dreams of becoming an influencer and needs a few thousand more followers. She hopes to get brand deals, money, and friends. Her last boyfriend called the police on her and threatened to do it again if she didn’t stop posting pictures of him on Instagram (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). She goes to a party with her friend, Cam, and sees a cute boy across the room. Jake is a military brat who lost his father recently. He goes to school, works 40 hours, and lives with his grandma. By the end of the night, he is in Isla’s bed.
Grace is a college-bound, church-loving valedictorian. She hopes to become a veterinarian and attend an ivy league school. Her parents invested a lot of time and effort into giving Grace the strongest upbringing possible because she is their miracle baby. Grace, unlike her friends, has never had a boyfriend or romantic love. Grace goes to a restaurant with her friend and makes eyes with the waiter. Her friend can see the sparks, but Grace is too shy to speak. They leave, and Grace sees the waiter lingering outside for her. His name is Jake, and he loves Grace’s shy and intelligent persona. They go on a few dates, and he calls Grace his ‘nature girl.’
Grace hangs out with her friends, and one of them sees the local influencer got a new boyfriend. Grace looks at the phone and sees Isla and Jake dancing in their underwear. Her heart instantly breaks. Grace texts Jake and asks him about Isla. Jake explains that Isla is his friend and nothing more. Grace asks him to prove it by deleting his social media. He says he did, but he blocks her. When Isla discovers Jake’s cheating, she throws him out and shames him on social media. Isla fights to gain more followers and Grace for love. When the girls turn on each other, one will be in jail, and the other will be dead.
This true-crime story is a sad depiction of our social media-driven world. And it’s that world that brings Grace and Isla down. Everyone is to blame for what happened between these two teens. Grace, unlike Isla, has two friends she confides in about her troubles with Jake. Kiley eggs on the wild and sexy behavior, but Ari tells Grace enough is enough. However, she doesn’t have the confidence to stop. Grace’s first love is all-consuming at home, school, and online. Isla’s self-esteem comes from the number of followers she obtains and the likes she can get. Without that validation, Isla doesn’t feel love or acceptance. The plot takes time to drill down into Jake’s issues too. As these teens come to their horrific end, no one lends a hand to stop it. They keep filming and posting. They were on a collision course with the world in the driver’s seat. Watch this movie with your teen and pre-teen and discuss every aspect.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
And then my life changes – Isla
Have you hooked up with any of these guys – Jake
OMG, what do I do – Grace
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Trapped With My Husband – Review
Trapped With My Husband – LMN – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Melissa leaves her company and walks to the parking lot to get her car and drive home. Then, a mugger jumps out of the shadows and attempts to rob her. But Kevin steps in and saves her. Afterward, he asks Melissa out for coffee, but she gives Kevin her phone number instead. After a while, Kevin and Melissa get married, but it’s not the fairy tale ending. Melissa comes home to Kevin sitting on the couch and doing nothing. They constantly fight about money, and she doesn’t believe his winebar will get off the ground. To avoid another argument, Kevin takes a phone call from Loni in another room. Loni is Kevin’s boss and needs him to work at the restaurant.
Melissa’s neighbor, Lauren, sees Melissa in the morning and tells Melissa to thank Kevin for helping Lauren’s daughter, Grace, get a job at Kevin’s restaurant. Melissa didn’t know Kevin got a new job. Melissa goes to work and talks to her co-workers, Mary Ann and Cameron, about her problems at home. Kevin spends more money than she makes and looks for get-rich-quick schemes, but she is unsure what to do.
At night, Kevin isn’t home, and Melissa hears a noise from the kitchen. She walks downstairs to investigate and finds a strange man cutting an apple. The man tells Melissa that Kevin owes $15,000, and the man wants his money as soon as possible. After a few threats, the man leaves. Melissa confronts Kevin. And he admits to owing $300,000 and having an affair with Grace. Melissa tells Kevin to go in the morning and don’t come back.
At work, Quinn calls Melissa and tells Melissa to meet her outside. Quinn was a successful designer until she met Kevin after he saved Quinn during a mugging. Kevin found an article about Quinn in the paper and pursued her. He took $100,000 from her, and Quinn wants it back from Melissa. Melissa refuses to pay Quinn and leaves. Melissa gets home and tells Kevin to leave for good. He refuses because the house is theirs, although she paid for it. Then, Kevin reminds Melissa that she has an important business trip. She begrudgingly leaves Kevin in the home and drives to her appointment with Cameron. Melissa confides to Cameron, and he contacts a lawyer, Erin, for Melissa. Erin tells Melissa that she can’t kick Kevin out of the house. If she waits for the divorce, it could take 1 to 2 years. Erin suggests Melissa pay Kevin off, but Melissa refuses.
She goes home and finds Kevin in filth and playing loud music. He saw a lawyer too and knows his rights. He wants 20% of Melissa’s company, or he will stay and make her life miserable. Melissa says two can play at that game. She schedules home repairs and yard work at the crack of dawn. Unable to withstand the noise, Kevin leaves for a hike. Melissa goes to work feeling like she won the war. After a meeting, Cameron leaves to get food for the team.
Melissa goes home, and Kevin’s absence surprises her. Til she gets a knock at the door. Kevin is dead, and they want to question Melissa. Melissa goes to the police station and answers their questions. She tells them about the money, the man, Quinn, and the pending divorce. After the police find Quinn dead, Melissa is the number one suspect. Can Melissa clear her name and save her life?
For a while, this film feels typical. Til, Kevin dies. His death is the last 30 minutes of the movie, but the 1.5-hour setup is perfect to create reasonable doubt, red herrings, and rage. With so many people after Kevin, viewers will have as many questions as the police. Kevin is the perfect villainous victim. The plot reveals everything when Melissa is at the business end of a gun. To make this film more intriguing, it has plenty of OMG moments to make you perk up. So don’t let the setup make you give up on this plot. It’s worth it from beginning to end.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
I will no longer be Kevin’s personal ATM machine – Melissa
She can be a tough nut to crack. Just smile and nod. And do whatever she tells you – Kevin
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Who Kidnapped My Mom? – Review
Who Kidnapped My Mom? – Lifetime – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Eva stands in her driveway, going through a box of her late husband’s things. Then someone jumps out and grabs her. Her daughters, Sami and Grace, run out of their house and towards Eva’s muffled screams but find no one there. Eva’s mother-in-law, Nancy, takes care of Grace and Sami while Sami makes ‘missing person’ flyers. Nancy thinks Eva left of her own volition, but Sami disagrees. Nancy thinks Eva killed her son, Ryan. He died of a heart attack at 33. After a week with no word, Sami finds Eva lying on the sidewalk in a diabetic coma.
One year later, Eva has her life on track and a new job, but she will need to move to New York. She tries to make Grace and Sami understand the opportunity, but they don’t want to leave their home and friends. Nancy thinks Eva is running from a guilty conscience, and Eva kicks Nancy out of the house. In the morning, Eva is gone. Detective Campbell interviews Nancy and Eva’s neighbor, Dean, but Nancy won’t allow Sami to talk to the officer. Sami charges into the room and demands equal time to plead for help. Detective Campbell promises to look into Sami’s concerns after 48 hours, but Sami refuses to wait for Detective Campbell and recruits her friend, Gabe. Sami vows to find out who kidnapped Eva for the 2nd time.
To quote Samuel L. Jackson, hold on to your butts because this movie will take you on a wild ride. The story keeps viewers guessing with secret meetings, money hand-offs, secret rooms, and a sketchy death. You will try to predict what’s happening, but the plot reveals itself slowly and intentionally. Nancy throws shade that will leave you in awe each time she is on the screen. Sami starts as the typical Lifetime spoiled brat, but she redeems herself quickly. Within 30 minutes, you will cheer for Sami and her bad attitude. And a round of applause for Gabe because he is a loyal Lifetime boyfriend.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
So try helping her – Sami
Moving across the country isn’t going to erase your past, Eva – Nancy
Get out of my house – Eva
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A Romance Wedding – Review
A Romance Wedding – UPtv – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Years after opening her wedding business with Nick, Zoe feels drained. She isn’t designing weddings for people in love. Instead, it’s for influencers and likes. Zoe wants to take time off but doesn’t feel like she can. Til she gets a call from her mom, Celeste. Zoe’s dad, Richard, broke his leg working in the garden, so he can’t cook for their café. Zoe offers to come back to Romance, Oregon, and help.
When she arrives, Celeste tells Zoe the truth. They don’t need her at the café because they already have her ex-boyfriend, Will, cooking. Celeste didn’t tell Zoe because Celeste wanted Zoe to visit. Zoe agrees to stay and spend time with her family. She drives to her parents’ home and stops at Mason Farm. Zoe notices the ‘For Sale’ sign and gets an idea. She wants to buy the farm and turn it into a wedding venue. She tells Will, and he says, ‘absolutely not.’ Mason Farm belongs to his parents. They left it up to him to sell. If he doesn’t sell the farm soon, he will have to use his savings to cover the payments. Without his nest egg, he can’t start his dream restaurant. Also, he thinks farmland should stay farmland and nothing else. Zoe understands his frustration. But she already got Will’s parents’ approval. Will reminds her that Zoe needs a business license. Once again, she applied early. Will agrees if the mayor says yes, he will sell. However, Will knows it won’t go through because the mayor feels like him. Zoe won’t back down and will rally the town of Romance in her favor to restart her business.
Yes, the ending is predictable, but the plot has several layers. Zoe has several hurdles to owning the farm, including an old rival for Will’s affection, Amanda. Then, you have another love story between Nick and Amanda. It’s a lot to keep up with while you drool over roasted root veggies with honey and mint, banana cream pie with homemade vanilla extract, and caramel salted brownies. While this won’t be a favorite of the June Grooms season, give this movie a chance. It has entertainment value and great one-liners.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars
Speak for yourself. I refuse to give up – Zoe
It’s good, isn’t it – Will
Nor would you want to. I am so much fun – Nick
Being honest is being kind – Richard
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Moriah’s Lighthouse – Review
Moriah’s Lighthouse – Hallmark – 2 hours and 0 minutes
Moriah bikes through her small village in France and collides with a man walking while looking at a map. The man yells at Moriah from the ground, and she reminds him that bikes have the right of way in France. The man apologizes, and Moriah bikes to her aunt’s hotel, Castel Beau Site. Moriah and her aunt, Katherine, enjoy a stroll and catch up. Moriah dreams of buying the lightkeeper’s house where her grandfather grew up, but she can’t afford it. Katherine offers to help, but Moriah refuses. Then Katherine sees a disheveled man walking up and asks if a bike struck him. He says, ‘Yes, Moriah’s.’ He introduces himself as Ben, and Katherine remembers he has a reservation for a 2-month stay. Katherine tells Moriah to check Ben in. Looking around the hotel, Ben spots a console and admires the artisanship. Moriah tells him that she created it, and he is impressed.
Moriah shows Ben the French way of life, and they bike together. Moriah takes Ben to the lightkeeper’s house and tells him the history, but the story is interrupted by a man pulling at the door. Moriah runs to the man yelling, and they argue. He is Nicholas, an investor. He bought the lightkeeper’s house and hired Ben to design a new home. Moriah knows Ben likes to build new things and not restore them. She becomes furious and leaves. Ben had no idea that the private residence and the lightkeeper’s home were the same. He begs for Moriah’s forgiveness and promises to fix it. Nicholas follows them and runs into Katherine, his first love. Moriah explains the situation to Kathrine, and Katherine wants nothing to do with Nicholas. Nicholas and Ben need to propose an idea to get the women they love.
Based on Love’s Journey on Manitoulin Island: Moriah’s Lighthouse by Serena B. Miller, this movie combines three love stories, two wars, and one lighthouse to create a peaceful and uncomplicated plot (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). The cinematography captures the vast and wondrous landscapes that will grab anyone’s attention. And the story makes fun of the ‘turn around’ moment in all romcoms. For a brief moment, viewers will wonder if they will get a part two for the star-crossed lovers, but the plot resolves everything in the last 3 minutes. This film isn’t a ‘don’t miss,’ but it’s worth watching. It reminds viewers to slow down and enjoy life.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
The guy who made it, she’s me – Moriah
As a matter of fact, I have, with her – Ben
We should probably sit and drink – Nicholas
I’ve been angry at the world for a long time about a lot of things. I don’t want to be angry anymore – Katherine
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Categories: A Romance Wedding, Adrian Lockett, BET, Bid for Love, Blue Kimble, Ceilidh MacDonald, Dawn Halfkenny, Drew Nelson, hallmark, He's Not Worth Dying For, Hilda Martin, Jayda Cheaves, Jermel Howard, Jordan Zavisha, June Grooms, Kelsey Flower, Kwaylon Rogers, Lachlan Quarmby, lifetime, lifetime movie network, Linda Grass, lmn, Love Sundays, Lucie Guest, Luke MacFarlane, Made for TV, Morgan Kohan, Moriah's Lighthouse, movie, Nikki Dixon, Ptosha Storey, Rachel Boyd, Rachelle Lefevre, review, Ripped From The Headlines, Robin Givens, Summer Nights, Tami Roman, Trapped With My Husband, tv review, Unhappily Ever After, UPtv, Who Kidnapped My Mom?
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