Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Majorthebys Charming and brutal

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

superbu1 This movie is somewhat entertaining, but the plot, dialog, acting, and cinematography all have this very cheesy Hallmark Channel quality to it. The whole thing feels kind of dumbed down. I was very surprised to find this was a theatrical feature, because it really looks and feels like a TV movie. Another problem with the film is that a high percentage of the dialog is dubbed, and not dubbed very well. It does tend to take one out of the movie. The star of the picture, Isabel Rose, co-wrote the film with its director, presumably to show off her singing talents. I wish I could say her acting talents were the equal of her singing. They're not. She's a fair actress, not awful, but much of the time I found no real emotion or sense of spontaneity in her lines. I never get the sense people are having an actual conversation in the film. Everything SOUNDS like dialog. For example, when a character, kisses her for the first time, she doesn't seem flustered at all -- merely spouts out a line of canned dialog. Again, it's a somewhat entertaining film, and I probably wouldn't shut the TV off if there was nothing else on, but the whole thing does have an amateur, simplistic feel to it.

steeeeephanie Normally I hate love stories. I feel like everything about love has already been said and nowadays it's just the same stories over and over, characters filled in with the same qualities, flat and bland actors who evoke no empathy or compassion.Having these views on all romance stories, "Anything But Love" completely surprised me. The story was so real, yet not cliché or boring. It's an old and common story (A girl is faced with a decision between love or money -- a plot that I've run across many times in musicals) but it brings a new and realistic light to the idea. Billie Golden (Isabel Rose) plays an aspiring middle-aged cabaret singer with little experience and few places to go, yet -- like so many other aspiring artists -- is very very talented. In the beginning of the film, she gets fired from her regular gig (in fact, the only gig she's ever had) that her family has been doing for generations.Her best friend, Marcy (Ilana Levine), suggests that she audition for a new gig. However, when she shows up, the accompanist, Elliot Shepherd (Andrew McCarthy), makes mistakes that cause her to look amateurish and unprepared. Needless to say, she didn't get the job. Afterwards, while drowning her miseries, she runs into Greg Ellenbogen (Cameron Bancroft), the most popular guy at her old highschool, now an impressive business man. The two begin to date, despite their clashing career goals.Billie gets a chance to show one of her other talents to her boss -- playing the piano -- he re-offers her the job, provided that she be able to accompany herself. She begins her quest to find a piano teacher and, after a few humorous attempts, finds one who is very promising -- ironically the same guy who screwed up her audition. Despite their differences, she becomes a successful pianist, and the two start to have an amazing amount of chemistry.But while Billie's piano teacher is making her dream seem all the more likely, her boyfriend is constantly discouraging her and trying to manipulate her into marrying him for an obvious business advantage. However, their feelings become impossible to deny after a very heart-moving make-out scene. They make plans to get rid of Greg, make both their dreams come tru, and let their love prosper.The plot takes a dramatic twist when Billie's mother (Alix Korey) declines into alcoholism and tries to kill herself. Greg offers to pay for her rehab, and she is unable to refuse. She then accepts his marriage proposal and starts to reform from an Audrey Hepburn wannabe to a successful business man's wife -- one who should be seen and not heard.The ending is overwhelmingly happy, yet still very realistic and untrite. No one is left unsatisfied; this is a definition of an effective feel-good film. This movie is a breath of fresh air in the midst of today's darker and more depressing films. I highly recommend it.

jotix100 This film played locally some time ago. Unfortunately, it came and it left before we had a chance to take a look at it. Evidently this must have been a labor of love from its director, Robert Cary and its star, Isabel Rose, who co-wrote the screen play. The film presents us with a situation typical of New York, where a lot of would be performers gravitate because of the different opportunities the city has so much to offer. The first scene sets the tome for the picture. Billie, appearing at the third rate club is trying to sing the title song, but everything gets in her way. The pianist decides to have a pasty as he's about to accompany her; the people in the room, are distracted; one of the barmen starts the noisy blender; finally, a jet goes overheard, rattling the place. What's a singer to do?We follow young Billie to an audition in which the accompanist does a horrible job at the piano. When finally someone is kind enough to hear what this young woman has to offer, he suggests to improve on her piano playing. She ends up going to the cheapest teacher, and surprise, surprise, he is Elliott.The movie was shot in and around New York City. We see some lovely scenes shot around Riverside and Central Parks. The atmosphere of New York is captured by the creators of the film into a pleasant movie, that will charm anyone looking for a modestly good time. As Billie, Isabel Rose, is excellent. She projects an innocence about the way she conceives her life around the music she loves. Andrew McCarthy plays Elliott, the piano teacher that falls for Billie, little by little. As her boyfriend, Greg, Cameron Bancroft is fine. Also in about three scenes in the film, the fabulous Eartha Kitt is seen doing what she does best, being herself!A good movie to watch on Valentine's Day!

bneyman Billie Golden (played by Isabel Rose, in a part she wrote herself) is an extremely small-time cabaret performer in a seedy neighborhood of Queens (or is it Brooklyn?). She sings pretty well, and loves the great cabaret standards, but her musical career is going nowhere, and when she loses the one real performing job she's ever had it precipitates a crises in her life. Billie lives in a world of Technicolor musical numbers, which occur at frequent intervals throughout this extremely entertaining romantic comedy. She meets a handsome corporate lawyer and falls in love with him, then gets an unexpected chance to perform again at her old stand. Many complications ensue, some of which are quite predictable, but all of which are written and enacted in a very charming way.Andrew McCarthy as the third corner of the love triangle is very appealing here, in a scruffy sort of way. Isabel Rose is terrific, and the remaining cast members turn in quirky and convincing performances. Of particular note are the cinematography, set decoration, and costumes, which manage to achieve the look of vintage Technicolor on what must have been a very small budget. This film has been released for cable under the title "Anything but Love," from the song that is a key part of the musical score. Whatever the title, "Standard Time" is well worth watching.