Harlequin: The Awakening (1995)
Directed by George Bloomfield
Written by Patricia Coughlin, Maria Nation
Produced by Norman Denver, Jean Desormeaux, Noreen Halpern
Starring Cynthia Geary, David Beecroft, Sheila McCarthy, Maurice Godin, David Ferry, Miguel Fernandes, David Gardner
Her preceding lodger (Ferry) is a trafficker of antiquities, who flees at the neighboring accommodation of a studly bounty hunter (Beecroft) determined to apprehend him and secure a recently unearthed panel on behalf of Greece’s government. Their lonely hostess (Geary) insistently tags along with the rootless mercenary, away from her pianistic tutorship, familial Mainer’s home, its mortgage, and singledom, toward anfractuous and amatory adventure in Miami. From newly concluded Northern Exposure, goofily gratifying Geary capably carried with bantering Beecroft Nation’s satisfactory, specially silly adaptation of Coughlin’s novel from the Harlequin imprint, both of which are earmarked for the wistfully middle-aged. Those accustomed to this series’ steamiest and sedate features may be disappointed by these leads’ tame amation and plentiful pleasantries, but that farcicalness is geared to please a target demographic. Editor Susan Shipton intersplices stock and main footage well, though a few of her cuts are sloppily sudden. Portioned interpersonal development, eroticism, and excitement suffice the light passage of 91 minutes, but don’t be surprised when this one waxes daffy.
