Find Me Falling

Warmhearted but predictable, this romantic dramedy features Harry Connick Jr. as a faded rock star who returns to Cyprus to rediscover the love that first fired his soul.

“Find Me Falling” is a warm hug of a movie — unabashedly sentimental, warmhearted and earnest. It presents to us a story we’ve seen many times before, with characters who might seem a touch familiar, and puts them through paces where we always feel like we’re a step or two ahead of the film.

It’s still enjoyable, in the same way mashed potatoes and gravy never gets old. You don’t exactly look forward to it, but you’re not unhappy to see it on your plate nonetheless.

“Falling” debuts on Netflix July 19.

Harry Connick Jr. stars as John Allman, a faded rock star in the mold of, say, Richard Marx. Had a really big heyday and has been playing out the string ever since, watching his audiences and sales grow smaller each year. He has just released what was to be his comeback album and it flopped, hard.

His breakout hit song was “Girl on the Beach,” which he tells everyone wasn’t based on anyone in particular, but he’s been fibbing. About a quarter-century early he spent time in Cyprus, and fell hard for local girl Sia (Agni Scott). But his career suddenly took off, and he with it back to the States.

Now he’s returned, mostly out of self-pity but clearly with some idea of seeing what Sia is up to. He buys a cottage on the cliff overlooking the local town, hoping for some isolation. Except he discovers this spot is the favored one for people to commit suicide by jumping off the overlook. John is granted one of these encounters on his very first night, which tends to put a damper on things.

He befriends the police captain, Manoli (Tony Demetriou), and arranges with the local grocer, Koula (Lea Maleni), to have his food delivered. This job is executed by her niece, Melina (Ali Fumiko Whitney), a headstrong girl who zips about town on her Vespa, waitresses at the only pub and also sings there, too.

They soon bond over their love of music, and John even dares to play for Melina the song he’s been working on — which shares a title with the movie — a sad tune about regret and rediscovery.

Sia is indeed still about, now the village doctor, and they rekindle their romance almost immediately. But typical romcom-type obstacles keep appearing in their way. The chief of these is that Melina turns out to be Sia’s daughter, and if you can’t guess the next development after that, you must not have seen a lot of movies.

Also, Sia witnessed from afar how John’s career and string of failed romances with famous women played out, which provided little impetus to reach out.

“I watched your life. It was one bad moment after another,” she scolds.

Despite the film’s utter predictability, writer/director Stelan Kliris has crafted what is clearly a love letter to her own Cypriot roots. The movie was also shot there, and well shows off the local vistas and exotically vibrant (to us Yanks) culture and people.

Speaking of comebacks — Connick launched a very promising film career more than 30 years ago, and with substantial turns in “Memphis Belle,” “Little Man Tate” and “Independence Day,” seemed poised to be the next big crooner/actor hybrid star in the mold of Frank Sinatra.

Things cooled for him, as they often do, but he’s worked off and on in film and television ever since, plus specials centered around his singing career. His last starring role was in “Dolphin Tale 2” in 2014, so it’s fair to say the actor is getting as much of another crack as his character.

He’s still a charismatic screen presence, self-effacing with an aw-shucks charm — the boy with the voice of an angel but a little devil to him. Connick also looks his age (56), including a very ordinary middle-aged male body we’re not used to seeing in movies anymore, except as comic relief.

I, as the owner of one of these, appreciated it not being hidden.

Scott, for her part, is an absolute stunner with oodles of screen presence. She keeps an air of mystery about Sia, perhaps because the good doctor is not as decisive and centered as she’d like everyone to think.

I also adored the character of Sia and Koula’s mother (I can’t find the actress’ name), who is wearily passing on her wisdom to her daughters and granddaughters, while impatiently waiting to die. A couple of near-fatal incidents provide some good guffaws. Of course, her zest for life will return before the closing credits.

“Find Me Falling” is the Cypriot equivalent of comfort food. You go in knowing it’s not going to wow you, but sometimes you still pick it off the menu because of its easy familiarity.