'New Year New Movies!' movie review: 'Two for the Win'
An elite athlete gets a much needed reality check while being coached by an old friend in the romance 'Two for the Win' (premiering Jan. 16 as part of The Hallmark Channel's New Year New Movies! event)
In short: World champion ski racer Justin O'Neill (Trevor Donovan) and local ski instructor Kayla Green (Charlotte Sullivan) find romance on the slopes when prepares for the biggest race of his life in their hometown.
Co-stars Donovan and Sullivan have a spark that totally defines the chemistry between co-leads Justin and Kayla. The two close friends share a rich history together, even if they never took the step into romance - and their baggage is all the more believable because Donovan and Sullivan naturally click. Not for nothing, but all these Hallmark movies that take place over the course of a few days, it's so much more believable when the main characters have a whole relationship history - and 'For the Win' works with his character rich history and lets them grow again as friends and more.
Count this as yet another win for the effortlessly charismatic Trevor Donovan who exudes a wariness for fame, a desire to reclaim his past swagger and maybe ready for a new direction in his life. As odd as it sounds, 'For the Win' could easily be reworked into a non-romantic drama and still stand as a solid sports drama. Justin has a lot that he's struggling with and Donovan lives in that uncertainty and embraces his character's lack of confidence. The script could easily have worked without Kayla - but 'For the Win' is all the better with Kayla and co-star Charlotte Sullivan. If there's truth to the advice that you should marry your best friend, then Justin and Kayla are a perfect pair - despite all their baggage. The movie lets her be a great coach who isn't just interested in the technical aspects - she understands and gently pushes Justin's wavering confidence as well.
'For the Win' is an oddly balanced movie: Kayla is the more dynamic character whereas Justin has the more dimensional character arc. Kayla harbors a lingering bitterness toward Justin after he abruptly left her behind to pursue his dream - yet she's also a strong coach who firmly challenges Justin to push himself. Meanwhile Justin has a more existential, internal conflict as an aging, injured athlete at the crossroads of rebuilding his career and rediscovering his love for small-town life. The script invests so much more time into Justin's journey as an injured skier out to reclaim his glory than Kayla's personal dream of becoming an elite ski coach. The movie barely mentions Kayla's dream - until the movie needs some last-minute plot device to put a strain on Kayla and Justin's relationship. 'For the Win' could only have been stronger if it gave Kayla more time to ponder her life and future.
Final verdict: 'For the Win' is so close to a gold medal Hallmark romance - but settles for the silver just because Kayla's character arch is secondary to the plot and only emerges as a plot device. Hoping to see Charlotte Sullivan is many, many more Hallmark flicks!
Score: 4 snowflakes (out of 5)
'Two for the Win' premieres on The Hallmark Channel on Jan. 16 as part of the New Year New Movies! event. The movie is rated TV-G and has a running time of 90 minutes.
