THERE WERE A COUPLE OF REASONS why I agreed to join my friend in volunteering at a charity event. The charity was setting up a two-week pop-up resale store, where all the items had been donated and the money made would go to the charity. The first reason for doing it was because I was familiar with the charity’s work and felt it was a great idea. Usually, charities do some type of silent auction with their donated items, but this was something different that appealed to me. The second reason was because I was curious to see what my friend does that drives people away or stops any spark of a connection. That may sound harsher than intended; but you see, my friend has complained to me how they try to meet someone for dating purposes, to put it bluntly, but nothing happens. They are sweet and loving, but when it comes to dating, something transpires that turns individuals off is how I see it. My friend has done various social group activities and quickly volunteers for a variety of places; yet from all these activities they never make a connection, even if it is for a friendship. I had to see for myself what is taking place to cause this predicament for them.      WE GOT OUR ASSIGNMENT THE MOMENT we walked into the shop and gave our names to the coordinator. Our job was to work and maintain all the displays; so, when an item got sold, we had to put another item in its place. We were given free reign on how to display the items; both of us thought this was going to be a fun assignment. To save time, we divided the store in half; I would get everything I could out on display on my side, they would do the same on their side. Afterwards we would both walk around and make any suggestions or adjustments. When the store opened, we would simply walk around keeping an eye on everything. But I was also watching my friend when they interacted with  customers. By lunchtime and having seen my friend interact with a variety of individuals, I now understood what was happening with them. They were trying too hard. Instead of making light conversation, they would ask too many questions, some close to being a little too personal. The image that was coming across was someone desperate and not being comfortable with themselves. I have always believed that when you are comfortable with yourself and you avoid having a hidden agenda, people notice your vibe and get comfortable around you. That is when people find themselves able to connect to other people. If you do not believe me then you should watch how the main characters get comfortable in this dramatic romance.      AN AUTHOR TRAVELING TO A WRITER’S retreat hopes to spend her time working on her next book. She would prefer to be alone, but there are guests who are familiar with her work. With Laura Dern (The Son, Little Women) as Katherine Loewe, Liam Hemsworth (Poker Face, The Hunger Games franchise) as Owen Brophy, Diana Silvers (The Killer, Birds of Paradise) as Lily Kemp, Adriano Giannini (Swept Away, The Consequences of Love) as Ugo Jaconelli, and Rachida Brakni (Chaos, Skate of Die) as Fatema Benzakour; this story had a good idea and the luck to have Laura and Liam starring in it. Unfortunately, there was so little chemistry between the two of them that the plain script stood out more for being bland. I liked the idea of the story and was hoping there would be depth for the characters, but everything felt like it was on one level. Honestly, if it were not for Laura’s performance and the interesting outdoor scenes I would have been bored. In this case, the writers did not make a connection with me.   

2 stars