A Perfect Pairing
Director: Stuart McDonald
Writer: Elizabeth Hackett, Hilary Galanoy
Cast: Victoria Justice, Adam Demos, Luca Asta Sardelis, Samantha Cain, Craig Horner, Antonio Alvarez, Lucy Durack
Seen on: 10.6.2022

Plot:
Lola (Victoria Justice) lives for wine. She works at a wine-company who try to get the right wine to the right people. But after a falling-out with her boss (Craig Horner), Lola tries to do it on her own. Step one of her master plan? Fly to Australia and convince millionare with a vineyard Hazel (Samantha Cain) that Lola should be the first person to import her wine into the US. But Hazel is little convinced by Lola’s pitch. To prove herself, Lola suggest that she could work at Hazel’s farm. Hazel agrees and asks her foreman Max (Adam Demos) to find a space for Lola. Max is not amused. As Max and Lola work together more, though, their appreciation for each other grows though.

A Perfect Pair is a rather standard RomCom that doesn’t bring much new to the table, nor a whole lot emotion. But it is elevated above mediocrity through Victoria Justice’s energy.

A Perfect Pairing is the kind of film that happens when a studio decides that it is time for another RomCom as they are rather safe bets. Or at least that’s what I imagine. And so we get all the usual ingredients to a RomCom – fish out of water trope, exotic location, a villainous boss, money, career, love – mixed together in a rather bland cocktail that isn’t quite strong enough to give you a buzz.

But it does have one thing that stands out and that makes you even consider ordering another, and that’s Victoria Justice. As in Afterlife of the Party, she has a frantic energy about her – and in this film, it actually puts her heads above the rest that just flows along rather aimlessly. And that includes Max. It’s been a while that I have seen a less interesting love interest. Does he even have any character traits?

This contrast between Max and Lola makes things a little uneven as Lola seems to run circles around Max. And while I completely understand why Max would be charmed by Lola, it was a little harder for me to see Max’ appeal. I mean, I understand why someone would go for a gruff rancher who is competent and fair, but while the film told me that this is what Max is, I never felt it.

The by now customary girlboss plot was less endearing to me than further proof that feminist talking points have been completely commodified. So that didn’t win the films any points either.

In any case, if you are looking for a RomCom to watch, it’s not abysmal. But maybe re-watch an old favorite regardless. You’ll probably get more out of that.

Summarizing: well okay.