Charming and brutal

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

This movie is so sugary I feel the need for some insulin. Per the Hallmark template, motherless kids with well-meaning but harried dad get a lovely young nanny. Nanny is ebullient, attractive, and able to overcome the kids' initial hostility to become much loved and their prime candidate for step-motherhood. Yadda, yadda, yadda.The hook here is supposed to be the Halloween theme, which fills every scene like car exhaust in a closed garage. Who but owners of popup Halloween stores decorates every inch of their environment with this sort of schlock? Main character Poppy is a perpetually grinning hobgoblin who talks, eats, sleeps and dresses Halloween for weeks before the "big day". She's unrelentingly cheerful and quick with the the happy-talk repartee and it's all just too too much. It ends as you would expect...and I'm off to watch something less syrupy . Reservoir Dogs, anyone?

You have seen this movie in other iterations for decades. What makes this one different is Ashley Williams, who shines in every scene. She is a delight to watch! The children she becomes a nanny for do better than fine in their roles, as does the father. The father has a gorgeous, brilliant, successful girlfriend - someone who's also good through and through - not someone the audience can dislike for any reason other than as a foil to our heroine, Ashley. While we know where this is going and where it'll end up, as a man I sure wish I had this father's problems, at least for awhile. While the women are in their 30s, they're both hoping to be with this father who doesn't appear to be anything special (that's his role though) other than having two wonderful children. Maybe it's his skill at keyboard clicking and gripping his smartphone that puts him up on a pedestal. He also has a huge Apple MacBook Pro on his desk, a 15-inch, and how many guys could afford that?One quandary in the script was money for services rendered. There is no discussion of salary for her nannying. There is also a scene where Ashley takes the children Halloween shopping with a seemingly unlimited budget, because shopping with no money is what makes people happy? She wasn't given a credit card by the father, nor is there any discussion about her being reimbursed for all the purchases she made, even though she is relatively low on money. A 10-second scene of dad handing her a card for emergencies should've been in the final edit.

In a beautiful town, Poppy (Ashley Williams) is a late twenties-something without a secure direction. She has tried a boatload of occupations and gone out with a few gentlemen without committing to any of them. When her older sister chides her about this, she always declares that she now knows what she DOESN'T want. The only matter settled is the one of her liking children, especially her twin nephews. Thus, sis gets the idea one day to set Poppy up as a nanny, if temporary, for a harried widower. The initial meeting does not go smoothly. Dad is constantly on the phone and just rushes out the door with few directions. And, the kids Zoe and Zach, are sullen and cold all day, even though Poppy takes them to a pumpkin patch. At the end of that first day, Poppy wants to quit but Dad Ryan (Sam Jaeger) begs her to stay until October 31. She agrees. Slowly it becomes clear that the children have been starved for attention from their father lately, who has been working on a huge job commitment. So, before long, the kids are basking under Poppy's care and asking for her help to spend more time with their father. Complications arise, of course. Ryan has a female co-worker who has a crush on him, asking him out on dates. Also, Zach is scared of spiders and needs to conquer his phobia. Most of all, Poppy and Ryan may be, quietly, falling for each other. Is it written in the stars? This LOVELY Hallmark film is a joy for every month of the year. The two principal actors, Williams and Jaegar, are attractive, funny folks while the rest of the cast, especially the child thespians, are very fine, too. The sets and costumes make the flick a treasure for the eyes while the lively script and direction keep the energy high. Romance fans, here is another great view for you; take advantage of it soon.

A woman named Poppy who bounces around from one job to another becomes a nanny to the two children of a workaholic widower. She quickly wins the kids over, then the dad, but a burgeoning workplace romance for him and Poppy's commitment issues may spell the first ever sad ending for a Hallmark romantic comedy. Yeah, right! It's a Hallmark movie so, of course, it's predictable to a fault. But what saves the movie from the mediocrity that engulfs so many made-for-TV efforts is the winning personality of Ashley Williams. She's charming, bubbly, and downright lovable in this. That isn't to say the rest of the cast is bad. It's actually a very good cast for these types of things. Sam Jaeger does an admirable job making his workaholic father character likable. The two kids are terrific, especially the daughter. The cast plays well off one another and really come alive in scenes with the delightful Ashley Williams. It's a funny, sweet, and pleasant movie; a nice way to pass the time. It won't challenge you and it doesn't reinvent the TV romcom but, if you are a fan of such movies, I doubt that you will find anything to dislike here.