Lights, Camera, Romance (2021)

(On Cable TV, May 2022) I’m certainly not above watching a few low-end romantic comedies when they have an interesting hook, and the idea of a lighthearted romance set in Hollywood appealed to my movie nerd self. Alas, that would presuppose that the result would have something, anything to say about its setting, because Lights, Camera, Romance is about as unremarkable a film as can exist. Bland lead actress (Monica Moore Smith), bland script, bland directing, bland sets… it’s a film set in Hollywood (even if filmed in Utah) that doesn’t do much with the idea of being set in the world of movies, with a plot that riffs from Jane Austen as if no one had ever had that idea before. The only surprise is that this wasn’t broadcast on Lifetime or Hallmark – it’s seemingly made to ape those kinds of films, but can’t be bothered with a single spark of interest. As I said – I’m usually a forgiving audience for such films, but Lights, Camera, Romance struggles to make an impact in any way. It’s far too innocuous to be incensed about, though – but I would be surprised if I recalled anything from the film in a few weeks.