7.1 stars.
'Love in the Maldives' is first and foremost about a woman named Rae (Hudon) and a man named Jared (Manley) who are young, attractive and fit, ogling each other. In the meantime they do a bit of snorkeling, walking on the beach, yoga poses, and smiling (she smiles, he does half smirks). The other half of the film centers on her desire as a magazine writer to find the most exciting adventures thereby capturing them in her stories. She loves to do any sort of adrenaline and outdoorsy activities like surfing, climbing, hiking, camping, you name it. This time she is only supposed to document her experience in a five star resort in the Maldives, as a casual tourist. The theme of the story centers on the fact that she prefers excitement, so she seeks out a good looking young man who knows of a secret sunken ship, and they set out on a quest to find it.
'Love in the Maldives' is not the most endearing, exciting, or entertaining movie, it's simply about two young adults getting acquainted at an exotic island beach resort. The romance is slow and steady, but not believable even though this film lends itself to being primarily romance driven. Something about Manly's inability to show us a more personal side of his character leaves the passion a bit cold. Secondly, the potentially mysterious sunken ship narrative is disappointing and anti-climactic. The only vindication for 'Love in the Maldives' is the amazing ocean panorama, however the location is irrelevant because this could have taken place in the Caribbean, the Philippines, or Hawaii. There is nothing peculiar in this film that sets the Maldives apart from any touristy destination (save the underwater suites and restaurants). I was touched by the very end and actually shed a tear, but it was too little too late to salvage this sunken treasure.
On a positive note Hudon is jaw dropping and has amazing charm, so she is now in my top five favorite females of Hallmark. Not only does she have grace and a smile that will melt your heart, her physique is nearly unparalleled (thus all the bathing suit shots).
From a realistic perspective, there are not enough Maldivian locals and too many westerners pictured in this film. Maybe this takes place at a British, American or Australian resort, but to my knowledge the Maldives is a sovereign nation of Indo-asians, and this movie has too few natives. I don't feel that 'Love in the Maldives' characterizes the culture or peoples that we would encounter at a resort there, so for lack of authenticity I am slightly disillusioned by it.
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