REVIEW: A Perfect Pairing is Best Described as a Light Bodied Rom-Com
Over the years, Netflix has become a major name in the romcom game. From Holiday classics like The Princess Switch and Single All the Way to the Set It Up starring Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch, the streaming platform has made quite the name for itself. And now, it is expanding its name with its new movie, A Perfect Pairing.
Starring Victoria Justice and Adam Demos, the movie finds Los Angeles wine executive, Lola Alvarez (Justice) at the peak of career. A wine connoisseur, Lola is striving for a promotion to Regional Sales Manager at her company. To do that, Lola has an ace up her sleeve, Vaughn Family Wines. Located in Australia, Lola’s plan is to convince this client to import their exclusive wines using her company. However, when her plan is stolen by her coworker, Lola finds herself on a new path. A new path that will take her to an Australian sheep farm and into the path of the ruggedly handsome sheep hand, Max (Demos).
What I really liked about this movie was its focus on female empowerment. Sure, it’s also focused on the romance between Lola and Max, but I loved the secondary storyline that focused on Lola’s career. The movie highlighted a woman who wasn’t going to stick around in a toxic workplace with a narcissistic boss and a backstabbing coworker. Instead, she was going to take the bull by the horns and do what’s best for her. We then find Lola struggling to prove she, and her business, have what it takes to land the big client. Typically, this part of the story would be pushed to the side, and we would find the character giving up their career for their new partner, but it was the complete opposite. This whole storyline was well crafted by the film’s writers, Hilary Galanoy and Elizabeth Hackett, and displayed well by its director, Stuart McDonald.
I do wish there had been more focus on the characters’ love of wine and how the perfect pairing plays into the world of wine. I think that would have connected the movie in a better way and amped up the chemistry between the two characters.
Demos and Justice were great casting for their individual characters, but I didn’t think they had the chemistry to really pull off this movie. In the scenes where they are getting to know each other, they almost seem more like friends than potential lovers. There are minor moments where I think the two could potentially have chemistry, but I ended the movie wishing the two had remained friends rather than romantic partners.
As far as romance goes, this wasn’t my favorite romantic comedy from Netflix. As I said earlier, I didn’t believe the chemistry between the two leads, which is a shame because the two characters are perfect for a romcom movie. If you are going to check this movie out. Wait until a rainy day where you can cuddle up with your favorite drink of choice or turn it on in the background. It is not something though I would run out to see when it is released.
Grade: B-