The Perfect Pairing (2022 TV Movie) User Reviews

The Perfect Pairing

[studioAT · 6/10 · 3 July 2022]

I thought this was a sweet enough Hallmark film, with a nice couple of twists on their standard format.

I liked the chemistry between the leads, and felt the story held up well.

Overall a good job and an enjoyable film.

Well done Hallmark.

Really flowed reasonably well

[hypzrkunt · 7/10 · 16 January 2022]

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.

Enjoyable

[Jackbv123 · 7/10 · 11 June 2022]

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.

Not a perfect pairing but a worthwhile one

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 2 February 2023]

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.

Another straight up WattPad romance story

[joylacsonsantos · 11 November 2022]

Another straight up WattPad romance story that was written by a teenager. Aren't you guys tired of using the same plot over and over with the same type of hero? Rich hot dude who wanted to be just a normal person then his lady finds out and guess what...SHE BECAME UPSET. Wow, that's realistic.

That's not even the funniest part about this movie. Aside from Victoria Justice's cringey and awkward acting (as always), she forgave her traitor friend just like and guess what SHE HIRED HER. Yes, the "friend" who betrayed her and stole her idea. That's how stupid the characters are in this cringey movie.

Contractor: Yes. The Rest: No

[film_grrrl · 6/10 · 17 January 2022]

Ms Contractor is an appealing, talented actress, who has a terrific Hallmark vibe. It's wonderful to see her again in a Hallmark project. More, please! However, she has no chemistry with the male lead (Mr Elliott, who mails it in). And how does a woman forget her purse?? Plus, ice wine is not grown where Pinot Noir is also grown. Take note, writers: It makes the film feel fake. As does the ice wine cave at 14F where you cannot see their breath. And please tell me who is the zillionaire who can afford a New York apartment like hers! Finally, Hallmark, let's use some fresh names for characters.

Enjoyable if predictable

[teepack-75312 · 7/10 · 25 January 2022]

Nazneen Contractor has been a nice addition to the Hallmark stable of leading ladies, and Brennan Elliott is turning into one of the top leading men. The story was nice and even tried to drop some knowledge on us about ice wine. If you like amnesia movies, you'll enjoy this one.

VIEWS ON FILM review of The Perfect Pairing

[burlesonjesse5 · 6/10 · 25 January 2022]

TV movie vet Don McBrearty directs 2022's The Perfect Pairing. And yeah, he dabbles in Christmas, mystery, and Valentine's Day stuff too. With "Pairing", McBrearty fashions a film that mixes the wintry LMN with the postcard-ed Hallmark Channel (of which it is a product of Hallmark). "Baby It's Cold Outside". Indeed.

The Perfect Pairing is like watching a holiday flick that's well, set in the second month between autumn and spring. Hey, the silly season may be over but you can still feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Every snowy frame is makeshift as Ontario, Canada masquerades beautifully for Upstate New York. "Pairing", well it wants you to kick those post-festivity blues right out the window with a little vino.

The Perfect Pairing is a little schmaltzy, a tad cutesy, and about as predictable as Sunday brunch. But wait, all is not lost. You have the hooks of wineries and amnesia to give Hallmark some veritable heft. Oh and the two leads are amicably appealing (Eva Longoria lookalike Nazneen Contractor and Marlboro Man Brennan Elliott).

"Pairing" follows the blueprint of Hallmark and Lifetime as if it were laid out on a floor plan. Girl meets guy. Wait, let me back up. Girl is a critic writer in the big city and her job makes her a little chilly (har har). Girl ventures out of the big city and gets stuck in a small town. Girl now meets guy. Guy is a good-looking dude who's a single dad. Girl finds her true self and falls in love with guy. Girl tries to save wine guy's business while ditching her old occupation. Finally, there's that smooch at the end (and I mean at the very end). All is right in the world again.

The Perfect Pairing is far from "perfect". I mean its running time is 82 minutes of fluff with its characters rambling on as if they need a self-help group or a life coach to latch onto. Still, "Pairing" is something to watch in the doldrums of January (for me NFL football is another option). Just think 2004's Sideways but with less technical plonk talk and G-rated remnants.

"I'm the Bad Guy!"

[rebekahrox · 8/10 · 17 January 2022]

This was a very well-constructed story about the danger of being too rigid and the importance of second chances. We learn almost from almost the first scene that Our Heroine is very flawed and know right away that she has lessons to learn and a personal journey to go on in order to become a better person. It is a measure of the actress Nazneen Contractor's skill and appeal that I didn't hate her or feel hostile to her. (Unlike 2 recent Hallmark movies in December starring the same actress playing women who also had lessons to learn. I'm looking at you, Jen Lilley.)

Christina Joy is a restaurant and wine critic. She is harsh, negative, demanding, bossy, and rigid. These traits are symbolized at the beginning by her spikey heels and being a bad baker. Her mother tells her she doesn't always need to follow the recipe and needs to be more creative and flexible. (This was actually a bad metaphor because in baking, you actually do have to follow the recipe. But we get the idea.) Her relationship with her almost-fiance is negatively affected by her personality, and we quickly learn that it also caused her writing partner to go solo as well. A writing partner whose fair and balanced "glass half full" approach has pushed her to the top of the wine critic world. We also learned that our heroine has brought a family winery to the brink of ruin by a harsh unfair review and her refusal to give them a second chance. The stage is set.

Christine is assigned to attend a wine festival and in a twist of fate winds up on the doorstep, without her phone or purse, of the family winery she almost ruined. When she learns her mistake, in her haste to get away, she slips on the ice with her spiked heels, hits her head, and gets amnesia. Brennan Eliot and his family kindly invite "Joy" to stay the "3 to 7 days" it will take to get her memory back. Brennan is kind of adorable in this despite his 47 years and the chemistry between the two leads is excellent. Needless to say, she undergoes a sea change without her memory and regains her former happy, fun, kind, empathetic self. This is symbolized by her success in baking and her new comfy shoes. Brennan and Nazneen fall in love.

While on a trip into town, she runs into her old writing partner who tells her who she is. She is horrified as Brennan and family have made no secret of how they justifiably feel about the destructive C. J. All proceeds according to the Hallmark planogram. She keeps her Identity a secret, they find out anyway (in a real holy crap moment.) Lots of anger, then forgiveness as "Joy" makes up for her past unprofessional behavior in spectacular fashion and a winery and romantic relationship is saved.

Despite its by the book following of the Hallmark amnesia script bible, I did enjoy this. I liked that C. J. had really gotten off track with her attitude, but that we didn't hate her and could see she was a good person at heart. I liked the touchstones along the way of Spiked heels vs. Comfy shoes, and the baking metaphor for her personality change. As "Joy" She encourages Brennan's daughter to go with the pink dress she loves even though it doesn't suit her color palate according to the "rules". The Ice wine background was interesting and educational. Brennan is developing an ice wine to save the winery against his father's wishes as it is a risky endeavor that he previously failed at. Ice wine was developed due to a "happy accident" of ruined frozen grapes in 19th c. Germany being given a second chance. Much like C. J. is frozen in her outlook on life and her fall on the ice that caused her amnesia was also a "happy accident." C. J should have given the winery a second chance since their submission was bad due to a fluke, just as Dad needs to give Ice wine a second chance. Both Brennan and her old partner give C. J. a second chance. All the little threads came together to fall in with the themes of the story thanks to a very mindful well thought out script. I appreciated the attention to detail.

Not Too Impressed

[maryerickson · 3/10 · 31 March 2022]

I think they made enough movies about a woman having amnesia, the guy takes her in & someone puts together clothes that just happens to fit. I love Brennan Elliott but am not crazy about the actress. I rated it 3 stars only because I like Brennan.

Ice wine, baked goods, amnesia and a convertible in the snow!

[cgvsluis · 8/10 · 25 January 2022]

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.

Not Perfect

[annwheeler-07646 · 3/10 · 29 March 2022]

Now that I've watched this story, and her other Hallmark movies a few times, I can't shake the feeling that Nazeen Contracter would be more comfortable doing live theater rather than film. She trained for, and did, live performances before moving in to film.

She's the female lead, and it shows, as it would on stage.

The script in "Perfect Pairing" calls for her charecter to be a strong, unfiltered, although anonymous, critic of the wines she judges and writes about. She followed the script well enough that the transformation from harridan to a truly nice person is a bit suspect. Can amnesia really affect a major personality change?

Brennan Elliot's character is pretty well absorbed by Ms Contracter's, and kind of fades into the shadows. I was quite disappointed with his character's weak reaction to discovering her true identity, when she had all but ruined everything he and his family had worked for. Brennan Elliot has a lot of very strong roles to his credit. Unfortunately, this is not one of them!

I think the writers and director can share the blame here.

For a memory loss story, this can't come close to the one with Mia Sorvino and Cameron Mathis!

Some Of The Best Things In Life Happen When You Take A Little Detour

[atlasmb · 8/10 · 17 January 2022]

Cristina (Nazneen Contractor), a food critic with a tendency to accent the negative, loses her memory while out of town. Her identity unknown, she settles into a comfortable situation while she waits to regain her memory.

Separated from her past prejudices and conventions, she learns new attitudes and gets to know Michael (Brennan Elliott), owner of a struggling vineyard.

This Hallmark film is blessed with two likable stars who have an easy chemistry. And the writing is intelligent. You might even learn about ice wines.

Save Your Wine

[therusticapothecary · 3/10 · 6 May 2022]

Wow! This one was or good. The only reason three stars are present is because I adore Brennan Elliott. I was skeptical from the get-go due to the amnesia plot. The beginning was rough mainly because the boyfriend is horrid. The actress's acting is not all that great, but I was hoping her chemistry with Brennan Elliott would pick up. It didn't. The plotholes were far too noticeable, and this is not a rewatch for me.

Solid movie with the beautiful and talented Nazneen Contractor

[MichaelByTheSea · 8/10 · 16 January 2022]

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.

Not the best

[drbreakwell · 3/10 · 17 January 2022]

Same plot as the last movie about memory loss. What woman forgets her purse? And she really didn't really hit her head that hard. What's wrong with her boyfriend who is supposed to love her, dropping everything and going to find her? Obviously no one thought to put out a social media post, check with local hotels, etc. What's wrong with her office checking on her reservations? Where did all her clothes come from?

Cristina Joy Osborne (Nazneen Contractor)

[aab874 · 10/10 · 13 February 2022]

Favorite scene with

Cristina Joy Osborne (Nazneen Contractor) - "Joy" Riding in an Open Convertible with Michael, Knowing the Words to a Song, a Beautiful View, and an Almost Kiss. BTW, I Loved this movie!

Ctrl C

[mohamedkarem-93392 · 4/10 · 6 March 2022]

It is missing a lot of elements to make the plot intact, the writing isn't top notch, but it definitely works.

Not a bad movie, I would recommend it to anyone who feels down and is looking for a romantic movie to watch.

Good cast good acting good story

[rhonnie-43139 · 10/10 · 23 January 2022]

I really liked this movie which was surprising to me. I usually cannot tolerate the male lead but he was ok in this movie because of the lead actress' performance.

I've seen at least two movies on Hallmark with similar plots. This is the only one that seemed realistic and that's because of the talented lead actress. I hope they cast her in more movies.

I lasted 5 mins

[ablondegrrl-1 · 2/10 · 17 January 2022]

Im sorry but this movie was so boring , i was waiting for chemistry to happen and it just didnt , i lasted 5 mins , the acting was so forced and the actors just didnt fit , i found it rather annoying to be honest , I went back to watch more and give it another go, but NOPE total waste of time in my view ...

Well Worth a Watch

[sueedel · 10/10 · 20 January 2022]

The Perfect Pairing evoked.the marvel of life's altering path. With its witty heartfelt script, 'intoxicating' vineyard setting, and fabulously talented actors, Nazneen Contractor & Brennan Elliott, as well as an excellent supporting cast, it is truly one of Hallmark Channel's best. It was also interesting to learn how ice wine is made. Highly recommended.

Good HALLMARK Movie

[couldbefbi · 8/10 · 24 August 2023]

First: Please make sure you're reviewing the correct movie. This is a Hallmark movie, THE Perfect Pairing. There is another movie with a similar name on Netflix "A" Perfect Pairing. I noticed one of the reviews hating on the movie has actors from the Netflix movie.

Ok, for this movie... You either like Hallmark movies, or you don't. For me they're sweet movies to pass the time. Most rate about a 7 for me. Then there's the ones that don't click with me, and the ones I just adore that I could watch again. This movie had a twist I hadn't seen with the amnesia. It's nice to see the woman fall for someone else completely innocently. The leads are good but not as much chemistry as I like. Still, it was a good story. I'm rating it 8 for that reason.

Another amnesiac transformed

[MickyG333 · 8/10 · 28 October 2023]

7.6 stars.

This was an enjoyable experience for me. A very uptight woman and food/wine critic is visiting a winery but things get confused, she ends up at the wrong winery, and it's not the place she should be (you'll see why). She slips and bumps her head, forgets mostly everything. Now she's stuck here not knowing where her stuff is, she has things to accomplish, but since she has amnesia none of that matters. So she gets to know this winery owner and his daughter. Of course they fall in love, but eventually he's going to find out who she really is and she's not going to be able to handle the situation of being his worst enemy and also being in love with him. It's not her fault that he won't like her. She was uptight and not a very kind critic, but she's learned a few lessons since getting to know him and his family, and everything will be alright.

Eiswein

[Kirpianuscus · 29 April 2023]

Little more than a nice hallmark. For few charming nuances about relation father - son, old traumas, vulnerabilities and not bad used amnesia.

In fact, the good point is represented by the honest try to propose more than usual and unrealistic romance.

Sure, the revelation is the icewine and its short story. A film about passion, an accident and a changed, in profound sense, young woman. The acting is, in good measure, a potitive point , Nazneen Contractor, Brennan Elliott but especially. Zarina Rocha and art Hindle being fair- inspired options for their roles.

In short, for many reasons, Eiswein , as nice dessert and as metaphor works just well in this case.