This was a cute movie premise - with her meeting all this guy's friends and family to get to know him. But it is completely unbelievable. Every person she talks to makes this guy sound like he is beyond perfect. The only thing missing in all these stories is his halo - he's too perfect. Then we cut to the flashback of him as a kid when his mother dies as he's making her a valentine and how he meets Carey, his first love. Did anyone else notice the awful casting of the child actors playing the adults? Their eye colors and features are completely off. Did the casting folks not look at Adrian Grenier or Kelly Thiebaud? The young James has dark brown eyes, the adult James has pale green eyes. The young Carey has deep blue eyes, the adult Carey has pale brown eyes.

I agree with other reviewers that the relationship with the rehab nurse and Carey is just wrong. He begins a relationship with her when she's vulnerable and injured. And how would he know the story of her relationship with James if she has no memories? Why would James tell him all those little details? And if James DID tell him all the details, how could he still start a relationship with her when she's discharged from the hospital knowing how devastated James will be? Talk about callous and unethical.

Then the end of the story: Mary is in love with James - because of stories others told her about him - not because she knows him personally. And how is he in love with her when he's only texted her a few times during the movie and he's not had any other interaction with her or anyone she knows? The ending would have been more believable if they met and went on a date. But her declaration of love to the bartender at the end is so awkward and over-the-top that I cringed watching it. Especially when James shows up and stands there listening to her cry and rant about his perfection. And finally within minutes of meeting her, James hands her the coveted valentine he made for his mother as a kid? What are his feelings for her based on? He doesn't know her or anything about her. It's too bad they both come off as more desperate than romantic.

Despite liking Amy Smart in other things, the premise for 'Love at First Glance' did not appeal to me at all. Due to it sounding rather mean spirited and the complete opposite of love. Still watched it anyway for Hallmark film completest sake, having been on a roll for the past nearly four years in watching as many as possible and always watching them with an open mind. There were some good 2017 Hallmark films, like 'The Birthday Wish' and 'A Gift to Remember', but also some bad films, like 'Christmas Next Door'.

'Love at First Glance' is another one of the bad ones, actually thought it was pretty terrible. Not only that, it is one of the worst films seen in a long time, a contender for the worst, and it takes a lot for me to say something like that nowadays. For most viewings for some time my weakest rating been a 3 and popular ratings (including for Hallmark films by the way) have between 5 and 8. An unappealing premise is given even more unappealing execution and that takes some doing.

Smart's charming and spirited performance, despite her role not being that well developed, is the main saving grace and one of two.

The other being the pleasing production values, the scenery doesn't disappoint.

However, the rest of the cast are poor with Adrian Grenier looking completely lost and a complete blank in a role that is very poorly written and underused. He is in only three scenes or something and they are all dull as dishwater and emotionally bland. The chemistry between him and Smart is even blander to the point of non-existence, like they hadn't met for the first time and hadn't warmed to each other during filming. Didn't care for any of the characters, all are underdeveloped and many poorly used and they either don't have personality or are annoying. Motivations are vague and at worst incoherent.

Furthermore, the writing and storytelling are disasters. The script is as lifeless as the flattest of pancakes, tension, charm and entertainment value barely there. Was cringing at a lot of worst with the cheese and schmaltz getting too much. The direction is leaden and has no sense of pulse or feeling. The story is very dragged out and predictable, an even worse problem being the distasteful and often confusing way the main plot is written. The ending has no emotion, is too neat and at odds with the rest of the film, felt unearned and despite knowing the outcome actually a different one was rooted for. The film is intrusively and forgettably scored.

Very, very bad overall. 2/10.

Mary Landers (Amy Smart) is having a tough time. Her boss dismisses her. Her boyfriend Carl dumps her for being predictable. On the train ride home, she has a meet cute with a stranger (Adrian Grenier). He leaves behind his phone and she sets off to return it to him. Apparently, he's the most interesting man in the world and she sees an opportunity to write a profile of him for her newspaper.

I wanted to dump on this movie until I got to the James and Carey story. It's a surprising different take on a romance from a rom-com and it really intrigued me. Nevertheless, let's start the dumping. Carl is a dud. Amy Smart is an angel. He is nowhere near her level. It's not just his plain looks. It's his character's overall dullness and some interior ugliness. She's crying about not finding a man and I roll my eyes. It's the tropiest of the romance tropes. In reality, guys are thanking god for one moment with such an angel. Not only is she beautiful on the outside, but she's nice on the inside. It's a romance trope joke. I would definitely consider having Grenier play Carl and he would come to his senses to woo her back in the end. James is better off pining for Carey for eternity.

For the first half, this plays more like Eat Pray Love crossed with a commercial of the Most Interesting Man in the World. The reason why I'm so intrigued with the James and Carey story is the central theme of the movie. Her article and the movie keeps asking for the meaning of love. The answer from the James and Carey story seems to suggest memories. Once her memories are gone, so goes her love for him. Please notice that he has not lost his memories. A normal romance would have him work to gain it back and it would come back because love conquers all. This one doesn't do that. Love is more fragile. In a way, love is more precious because of its fragility. It's a different take and I like that.