[Warning: General spoilers ahead.]
Hallmark Channel unveils the European travelogue portion of its “Spring Into Love” block of premieres with A Pinch of Portugal, which teams Heather Hemmens and Luke Mitchell (most recently of Big Sky, in his first Hallmark film) for a romance about Anna, a prep cook, and Russ, her cameraman BFF, who are vaulted into the spotlight when Dean (Darren Day), the celebrity chef of the cooking show they work for, stalls his contract negotiations.
Deployed to Portugal to start shooting footage for a new episode before the holdout chef returns, Anna isn’t an exact fit for Dean’s style, so she seizes on her own, trying something different to ensure that she and the crew keep their jobs. Russ has her back, as do show producer Hope (Amy Louise Pemberton) and PA Brooklyn (Johnna Dias-Watson), who see and encourage her new potential. And they find an ally in Lucas (Duarte Gomes), a local who helps them procure everything they need, from food to locations.
Lucas helps when he seems to immediately fancy Anna and angles to spend more time with her. Anna, meanwhile, is focused on doing a good job. And then there’s Russ, who turned Anna’s romantic overture down a while back for fear of tanking their bestiedom and now might be rethinking that.
The film beautifully captures the sights and sounds of Portugal, and by default of the subject matter and the location, spends a fair amount of time on food and drink. YMMV if foodie flicks aren’t your thing, but it’s still a fun romcom. And it’s nice to see the network extending the relationship with Hemmens and bringing fan favorite Mitchell into the fold–with his native Australian accent!
Clare Niederpruem, who’s become a go-to guerilla filmmaker (Love on Iceland/As Luck Would Have It) for Hallmark in far-flung locations, directs a script by Nicole Baxter (Presence of Love/Chateau Christmas).
A Pinch of Portugal premieres Saturday at 8 pm/7c on Hallmark Channel and Peacock in the U.S. and W Network in Canada. Here are a few sneak peeks.
Photos courtesy of Ana Paganini and Hallmark Media; videos courtesy of Hallmark Media.
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