Matching Hearts

The two lead actors are so enchanting with each other that I lose site that they are following a script, and that this is a movie. It's so refreshing to be in a story that makes you feel so good about what you're listening to.

The premise is another one of those very unoriginal but potentially sweet and inoffensive. Both leads Taylor Cole and Ryan Paevey are hit and miss for me as actors, and it is very dependent on the way their roles are written. When her character is likeable, Cole is charming. When the writers go overboard on the character flaws, she comes over as cold. Paevey similarly can be subtly charming when a character is written well, but he can be wooden too.

'Matching Hearts' is one of the 2020 Love Ever After films from Hallmark. And it is a pretty decent one, and a vast improvement on the previous 2020 Love Ever After film 'A Valentine's Match'. It is far from perfect and it is not great, but it also could have been a lot worse if unoriginality was taken too far and if the cast suffered from having poorly written characters. While having issues with the story, other Hallmark films (and this is including quite a lot of those from 2020) fare far worse in regard to the characters.

A lot works here in 'Matching Hearts'. It looks good, especially the scenery which is lovely. Other Hallmark films fare a lot worse when it comes to having ill fitting and intrusive music, neither of which were an issue really with me here. While the script is not Oscar worthy material, it at least has a natural flow and doesn't come over as too cheesy, schmaltzy or waffly.

Generally the story has a warm centre, is light-hearted and doesn't feel dull. The supporting cast all do solid work. Cole brings a lot of charm and confidence to a character that is hardly un-rootable and has strengths and flaws.

Paevey to me was less good, he has appealing moments but he underplays his underwritten role too much and comes over as wooden. There is definitely chemistry between him and Cole and the relationship is not neglected, but the relationship itself could have been better and more realistically developed. Just found it too rushed and the outcome is too abrupt.

While the story was better than expected, there are very few surprises and very little new. Basically standard Hallmark with no real variation.

In summary, nice film. 7/10.

The plot of match making has been used before in other Hallmark movies. Taylor Cole (Julia) changing the Valentine's day party without obtaining her boss's permission is done everyday and people don't get fired. Nice to see a diverse cast for a change not just one of each race.

Julia works as a matchmaker (is that really a thing?) and she meets Daniel, an entrepreneur who claims that if you want to succeed, you should stay single. So, Julia's company plans to set him with a date in order to get more clients and advertise.

I'm not gonna lie, I enjoyed it. I may be biased, Taylor Cole is one of my favourite leading ladies. The plot was kind of stupid and at times it didn't made sense (changing things without a boss' approval? Nope). I couldn't care less about Ryan's character, Daniel. I don't dislike him, but he always plays his characters in the same way.

The reason I give this 7 stars? (Other than Taylor Cole) A diverse cast and even the hint of a same-sex couple at the end. Which i'm all in for (this is actually funny, because I saw today a trailer for Hallmark movies that does include a same sex couple and people are mad, but I couldn't be happier.)

I'm not gonna watch again, but I'm glad I did.

A matchmaker agency, a pets center, a bachelor saying something not real correct, a lady looking for demonstrate than he makes a mistake. And, sure, dogs and cats, dates and the so predictable end.

Two things are real useful - the sparkles of classic romances and the main actors - sure, with some reserves about Russ Paevey , not very comfortable in role -.

But comfortable is the recipe, working little more than decent.