A Week in Paradise is more of a guide than a movie. This is a "paint-by-numbers" romantic comedy, but no one has phoned in anything. One might say the movie is full of clichés, but that would mean that director Philippe Martinez, who was also the co-producer of My Dad's Christmas Date, actively tried to find clichés to use.
Maggie (Malin Akerman), best known for her roles in Watchmen and Chick Fight, plays a heartbroken movie star. When her partner Christopher (Jack Donnelly) is unfaithful, she plans to leave for the Caribbean with her cousin Fiona (Connie Nielsen). Fiona and Maggie take advantage of the nice weather to catch up and talk about their marital problems over delicious food and drinks. Maggie meets a chef named Sam (Philip Winchester) in between her meditation sessions who might rekindle her longing for love.
Kate Wood wrote the screenplay for this film, although it doesn't feel very innovative. Unfortunately, the story is relatively thin, and Martinez relies too heavily on lengthy musical montages of Maggie "finding herself" or enjoying the tropical surroundings. These montages are cheap shortcuts that relieve the production team of the responsibility of keeping the viewer interested. What do you believe will pique people's interests? People speaking and moving the plot along or a B-roll of Malin Akerman sitting on a beach staring into the distance?
It can be easy to zone out during most of the film as there is poor conversation and the little there is hardly interesting. If you are looking for a fun, sometimes romantic film to pass the day, A Week in Paradise might be the one for you. Otherwise, prepare to spend a few hours watching a slow-moving and not-very-interesting film with romantic undertones. It is not recommended for romance film collections in public libraries.