Movie Review - Signed Sealed Delivered: Truth Be Told

Signed Sealed Delivered

Truth Be Told

2015

Moon Water Productions / Muse Entertainment Enterprises : The Hallmark Channel

9.25 / 10

I am pleased to say that the writing team of Martha Williamson and Brandi Harkonen are back on track after the previous episode, which resolved Oliver's estranged marriage.

They have managed to put the series back on track as they revert to the tried and true structure.  The main story is that of the lost letter, with the postables lives taking second place.  In this movie, the lost letter comes from a military officer stationed in Afghanistan.  The letter is to her daughter...

The story does a very good job of telling a story of loss, hope, and heartbreaking truth.  Back on the home front, we learn more about Oliver and his past as his father comes home to visit with some shocking and groundbreaking news.  It also seems that Oliver's wife is not the only family member he's estranged from.  There's so much going on in this episode that it should keep you entertained.

The direction is up to par with the previous episodes as Kevin Fair is still in the Directors chair and the resident cast is consistently good and builds their characters and ongoing relationships well.  The extra cast of Gregory Harrison as Oliver's Father, Joe O'Toole; Megan Charpentier as Phoebe Amidon, and William B Davis as Harper, Pheobe's Grandfather; are very good in their roles, especially Charpentier. 

If you've watched the previous episodes of the movies and series then you should like this one, though if you're not familiar with Signed Sealed Delivered then I would recommend watching from the start as it's the best way to relate to the characters... and it's worth it.

 

Movie Review - Lost Letter Mysteries

Lost Letter Mysteries

aka Signed Sealed Delivered

Love and Tragedy [Pilot Episode]

Front Street Pictures / Muse Entertainment Enterprises : Hallmark / MovieMax Family

2013

9.5 /10

This is a lovely well thought-out movie, that is well directed and superbly acted by a talented cast, headed by one of my favourite actors, Eric Mabius. who I originally saw in The Crow: Salvation.

I really loved the idea of the "Lost Letter Department" whose sole job is to get the undelivered mail to where it's intended destination.  If they cannot read the address on the envelope then they are allowed to open the letter, but they are only allowed to read as far as they need so they can deduce a delivery address, as it's a federal offense to tamper with mail.

In this case, though, they keep running into problems in determining the destination so they have to keep reading.  As they do the viewer is shown the story of the letter's writer and becomes embroiled in their tale.

The reason this works is the juxtaposition of the two ongoing stories, as well as the different characters within each.  It gives quite a lot of detail to keep you interested and entertained.

Eric Mabius plays Oliver O'Toole who is a stuffed shirt, but with a heart of gold.  He likes his rules and regulations though if there's a logical explanation to circumnavigate the rules to get the desired outcome, then he will.  He is a solid and strong character, a good lead.

Kristin Booth portrays Shane McInerney, "Miss McInerney" as Oliver likes to call her and the chemistry between them is nice.  She comes to the Lost Letter Department by accident and can only get redeployed to her desired department after a couple of months.  Even though she isn't good at hiding her disappointment, it's Shane who is pivotal in pushing the investigation to its conclusion.  It's her curiosity and enthusiasm that help make her a well thought-out character.

Then you have the two "Side-Kicks"  Rita Haywith and Norman Dorman, played nicely by Crystal Lowe and Geoff Gustafson.  These are the "Geeks" of the Lost Letter Department, but add a depth to the team, which makes the show stronger.

Even though there are some adult issues represented in the story these are handled with maturity and in a light manner.  This is not a doom and gloom show, and for that reason I loved it.

What works really well is the great direction, it cannot be easy to intertwine two stories and keep it well paced and smooth.  The director makes this look effortless, all adding to the enjoyability of the movie.

I would recommend this to everybody, especially the lovers of heart-warming tales.