Valentine's Kiss (2015) (aka: Fighting for Her Family) Rupert Graves, Katja Weitzenböck, Eliza Bennett, John Hannah, Jean-Yves Berteloot, Zoë Tapper, Eileen Atkins, Clive Swift Movie Review

Valentine's Kiss (2015)   2/52/52/52/52/5


Katja Weitzenböck in Valentine's Kiss (2015) (aka: Fighting for Her Family)

The Kiss Misses the Mark

Valentine Whiteley (Katja Weitzenböck) has carved out quite the impressive career for herself as a writer of parenting guide books, portraying herself as both the perfect wife and mother. But then the truth hits her like a ton of bricks when her husband, Nicholas (Rupert Graves - The Good Times Are Killing Me), files for divorce having started a secret affair with a younger woman. With Nicholas wanting half the fortune, which has come from Valentine's success, their divorce is a messy one especially as not only does a journalist appear to write an article which does Valentine no favours but with their daughter getting married Valentine and Nicholas still have to deal with each other. With her precious career in danger and her fans turning against her Valentine has some big choices to make when it comes to her children, her life and that journalist, who despite possibly destroying her career could turn out to be the love of her life.

I always try to think of something someone else might have watched which compares well to the movie I am reviewing and as I watched the TV movie/ TV mini-series "Valentine's Kiss" I kept think of the BBC series "Doctor Foster". They are by no means identical but with Valentine discovering her seemingly perfect marriage is in ruins and her estranged husband is a love rat "Valentine's Kiss" has some similarities. And with it being a British production it has the same sort of British drama feel.

Rupert Graves in Valentine's Kiss (2015) (aka: Fighting for Her Family)

But whilst I kind of enjoyed "Doctor Foster" I can't say that "Valentine's Kiss" achieved the same and I found this an emotionally cold and frankly shallow experience which felt like it was made on a limited budget leading to it feeling rushed. To put it simply no matter who the actor was and no matter what line they were saying I never felt there was any depth to their words and it was just an actor reciting their lines rather than playing a part. It is why I have a feeling that financial and time restrictions meant that those involved didn't get the time to hone their characters or really craft the scenes.

In a way it is a shame as "Valentine's Kiss" has a nice tangle of drama going on. We have Valentine realising her writing career ended up robbing her from being the mum she thought she was. There is Nicholas who we discover is a love rat and to be honest a loathsome all round being. Then we have romance involving a journalist plus their eldest daughter finding an unplanned pregnancy affecting her blossoming career. There is quite simply enough going on in "Valentine's Kiss" to be entertaining if only it felt like there was depth to it.

What this all boils down to is that whilst "Valentine's Kiss" has the look and the story to entertain, but the finished product doesn't achieve it due to it ending up feeling rushed and emotionless.


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