The Perfect Pairing

Really liked the idea of the story. Have never seen ice wine in a Hallmark film before, wineries are familiar locations but ice wine is a new one for Hallmark if memory serves correct. Hallmark have done plots featuring amnesia before and on the most part very tastefully. Brennan Elliott is not among the most consistent Hallmark regulars, but he has done his fair share of good performances. Am less keen actually on Nazneen Contractor and my first impressions of her in 2020's 'The Christmas Ring' was very negative.

'The Perfect Pairing' sees her giving a much better performance as a character that is a lot more interesting and better developed than the exaggerated flaws-like character she sounded like on paper. 'The Perfect Pairing' was quite good and very worthwhile, while not living up entirely to its perfect pairing name. Comparing it to the previous 2022 New Year New Movies films, it is not as good as 'The Wedding Veil', but it is infinitely better than 'Where the Heart Belongs'.

It could have been better in a few areas. Did feel that the amnesia angle and how it affected her personality and way of thinking was on the rushed side. Also did not buy Elliott's character's reaction to the truth, which was very anaemic, considering how big the lie was one would expect him to be a lot more hurt and angry.

Did feel that it started off a little rough, really hated the stereotypical and annoying boyfriend character who adds nothing to the plot and is only there as a Hallmark plot device.

However, there is a lot to like about 'The Perfect Pairing'. Contractor has grown significantly as an actress since 'The Christmas Ring' and this is easily the best of her three Hallmark performances as her most complex character. Here she is relaxed, even when her character is uptight and cold early on, and is expressive as her character warms. Was really preparing to dislike her character intensely, having seen all her negative traits shown early on exaggerated in many of Hallmark's films and dreadfully, but ended up finding her quite well fleshed out and more complex than the usual female lead character (with her showing significant growth that didn't feel hurried).

Elliott is a very down to earth and amiable partner, disappointing only in how he reacts to the truth, and liked the subtlety of his charisma that complemented the more animated Contractor very nicely. Their chemistry is sweet and genuine and the supporting cast are solid in mostly interesting roles (the one failure being the boyfriend).

Production values are lovely, especially the scenery and the look of the winery. Which is utilised very well in the story, and made me very interested in trying out ice wine (have never had that much despite being quite a regular wine drinker), something that the film does really well educating the viewer on. The music is not too loud or used too much. The script is witty and heartfelt, always sounding natural and never juvenile or tasteless. The story is light hearted and heart warming, didn't feel it dragged, got too melodramatic or felt contrived (even the conflict didn't feel that) and while the formula is fairly familiar the execution wasn't too predictable.

In summary, nice well executed film. 7/10.

The premise of amnesia has been used, but not so much that it can't be interesting. Likewise, a struggling winery, although heroine works to save struggling business is pretty common. I'm not a fan of "the secret" between the leads, but that aspect was mollified by the amnesia, at least some. Baking with the widower's kid is another common device. Take them all together and the story is just different enough to be interesting.

But the draw of this movie is Nazneen Contractor. She plays both confident and then, after the amnesia, uncertain. The uncertainty brings out vulnerability. She has chemistry with Brennan Elliot, and with Zarina Rocha, Michael's early teenage daughter. The middle part of the movie shows a hopeful vista where you can see a new family forming.

The dialogue is good at times. The acting is mostly good.

Nazneen Contractor was born in Mumbai, India and is one of the best diversity castings on Hallmark. I liked her in The Christmas Ring and A Winter Getaway, but this is the best of the three.

I love Hallmark movies and grade them on a curve. Some of my favorites feature the "less common than you'd think" amnesia trope. The best movie featuring a woman with temporary amnesia was Falling For Vermont with Argentinian beauty Julie Gonzalo, but I also liked Ashley Greene and Andrew Walker in Christmas on My Mind, Ali Liebert in a Gift to Remember, and Oscar winner Mira Sorvino in Christmas to Remember.

Hallmark vet Brennan Elliot has been in something like 20 Hallmark movies and is a reliable lead. Nazneen does a nice job of transitioning from a somewhat distant and removed reviewer to a more caring, involved and aware person (without resorting to caricature). I liked the interaction with the daughter (those pecan butterscotch cookies sound delicious) but who takes over the kitchen of someone they don't know at 3am without asking? But that was a rare flaw (the other one was no one being able to access her phone which, at best, maybe suffered a cracked screen).

The critics that unfairly malign Hallmark movies complain that all their movies are the same. They certainly have perfected a romance formula featuring attractive, career minded women juggling the demands of life while honoring important values like love, family, friendship, and community service. And in the last few years, their casts have become much more diverse and inclusive, thereby better reflecting the world we actually live in. That approach has successfully turned the Hallmark Channel into the most watched channel on cable and it's why I watch and vigorously defend their movies. But they have also done a nice job of mixing it up while staying true to a winning formula. Let's face it, no one comes to the Hallmark Channel looking for an unhappy ending.

Here, there's an interesting story about the making and history of ice wine, which I don't think has ever been featured in a Hallmark movie before. And the amnesia trope shows up a lot less often than the secret prince trope.

Nazneen Contractor did a good job for this movie. I was bored to death either last one. This had real chemistry and was well worth the watch. I almostdidntgivethis a chance and if I could I give it a 7.5.. it's not an 8 but I would watch again. While somewhat predictable as all Hallmaek fare.it was good.

Brennen Eliot is fantastic...but so is Nazneen Contractor. In fact, I am not sure who garnered my attention more...they were both so good.

The story is about a food and wine critic who panned a winery for their merlot and didn't give them a second chance which devastated them financially. The winery is run by a widow and single father played by Brennan.

The critic, CJ (short for Christina Joy...but used to keep her anonymity), comes to wine country to do some more reviewing. There is a mix up at the train station and she looses her purse, her luggage and ends up in the shuttle to go to a winery and not her B&B. This is what gets her to the winery that she ruined, when she discovers her mistake she says her name is Joy and steps outside to try and go...hits a patch of ice with her high heels, falls and hits her head.

She ends up with amnesia. The whole family at this winery that her review ruined takes her in calling her Joy, because that is what they think her name is, and treats her really well. In the fall Joy's phone breaks and the only thing she has is this small notebook with recipes in it. The daughter, Rebekah, suggest they try to make some of the recipes thinking it might help with the amnesia. It doesn't help with the amnesia...but it really brings a lot of joy back to this grieving family.

You get to learn about the history of ice wine and see how everything is put back together.

This was fun and really worth watching. The transformation of Christina into Joy back to Christina...back to Joy is really interesting and I felt different from the usual Hallmark romance.