The Perfect Mate

Film has a weak dramatic premise and no real plotline at all. More or less a simple situation involving a fake engagement for no legit reason. The movie seems to take its plot cues from other rom-coms of its kind like "I'm in Love With a Church Girl," "Love Don't Cost a Thing," and "Meet the Parents." The father/pastor character being written and played against usual hardass stereotype of such a role was a good touch. The thin depiction of the jealous sister, her emasculated husband and their unruly child was not. Acting is below average to JUST barely solid. Chico Benymon as main character is game if nowhere near the most skilled/talented comedic actor in the business. There's an overall waste of talent from known veteran performers in lesser roles. Movie is shot and visually edited fine. Attractive cast looks good as far as clothing, hair, and makeup. The sound editing can be a bit shaky at times. Most of the score and some of the music used is rather generic sounding. The film has good messages but the issue with this production lies in the lack of understanding that the message is best received through strong storytelling, which isn't what's going on here. A lot of lame, uninspired jokes to boot makes this one hard to see myself ever coming back to, no matter where the heart of the filmmakers might have been.