“The Perfect Pairing,” starring Nazneen Contractor and Brennan Elliott, originally aired on January 15 on Hallmark Channel. Written by the trio of Rickie Castaneda, Megan Hocking and one my faves, Julie Sherman Wolfe, it was also directed by Don McBrearty. The movie was filmed in Hamilton and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, which is south of Toronto and right on the Canada/US border near Buffalo, NY.
This one was first called “Love and Ice Wine” and was direct competition to a Lifetime movie that came out around the same time that also dealt with ice wine. However, it eventually changed its name (perhaps so as not to cause confusion). The winery featured in the movie is Peller Estates Winery.
Music: While driving in the convertible, they are listening and singing along to the New Radicals’ one solo hit song, You Get What You Give.
In a nutshell
Since I’m a fan of both Elliott and Contractor, this movie was one I looked forward to. The two leads were the best part of this middle of the road movie.
The Plot of “The Perfect Pairing”
CJ Osborne, a food and wine critic, hits her head and loses her memory while accidentally visiting a winery she panned in the past, owned and operated by single dad Michael.
Actors & Chemistry
I’m a huge Brennan Elliott fan, and Nazneen Contractor is a nice addition to the Hallmark family (she was previously in “The Christmas Ring” and A Winter Getaway) who is immediately likeable and someone you are rooting for. Having these two together in a movie was a plus, for sure. They both have natural, easy acting styles, and they created a nice blend in this. Elliot, in particular, is SO natural that sometimes I can’t tell if what he’s doing/saying is ad libbed or part of the script. When he plays an accessible character (such as Michael in this movie), I feel like he’s just being himself. Kris Polaha has the same effortless humanity in leading man roles.
As for chemistry, I liked this pair together. Were they scorching? No. But I hope that Hallmark puts them in another movie together in the future because this pairing is perfect (see what I did there?).
Tropes
Drone shot of cityscape. We haven’t had an amnesia storyline in a couple years. Happy it’s back! CJ has a Bad Boyfriend. Michael is a widower with a cute kid. Michael’s business was struggling. We had a couple baking scene of sorts. We had a snowball fight with snowballs so fake they actually ROLLED AWAY after being thrown.
Did I Hear/See That Right?
Since when is sleep a good thing for someone that might have a mild concussion? After Joy conks her head, she wants to rest and Michael says, “The doctor said sleep is the best thing you need right now.” Ummm…
Driving in a convertible with no noticeable wind blowing around. Ok.
I’m not completely against the “I feel things for you and it’s only been a couple days” storylines although I know I’m on record as being against them. But done well they are okay. In real life there are several marriages to have come out of the TV show “Big Brother” because those people spend 24/7 together and it’s a fast track to getting to know a person in that time versus dating (when, because of work schedules, where you live, and other obligations, you may only see the person a couple hours a day at best). But, the supposed intensity with which Michael’s feelings grow for Joy (I think he mentioned 3 days) did go a bit too fast for my liking, but I liked that they both stepped back to reassess because of her lack of memory.
Feelgoods
I like unkempt Brennan Elliott with messy hair and a 5 o’clock shadow.
I appreciated when Michael tried the chocolate and it turned out to be baking chocolate (which is very, very bitter). When I was kid I snuck into the pantry, looking for something sweet. I saw the container that said HERSHEY’S on the front and thought I found a jackpot. I grabbed a spoon and moments later was horrified at what was in my mouth. When you are expecting sweet and get bitter, it’s an awful sensation.
General Thoughts
The location where this movie was filmed was gorgeous – I’d go to that winery just to be on site! And I’m not even a wine drinker.
Re-watchability of “The Perfect Pairing”
I think I would re-watch this one, even if it wasn’t the most exciting movie. Elliott and Contractor are the positives here.
The Ranking
“The Perfect Pairing,” while fine for the most part, is still middling at best. It had a lot to work for once I saw “Just One Kiss” just prior.
- Just One Kiss (air date: Apr 2) – 660 pts – weighted score: 111.2 (78.0%)
- The Perfect Pairing (air date: Jan 15) – 563 pts – weighted score: 92.7 (65.0%)
- The Wedding Veil (air date: Jan 8) – 508 pts – weighted score: 83.3 (58.4%)
- Where the Heart Belongs (air date: Jan 1) – 435 pts – weighted score: 74.5 (52.3%)
To see where this movie lands in my overall rankings of Hallmark movies, visit my Hallmark Movie Rankings page!
What did you think of “The Perfect Pairing”? Comment below and let me know!
Haven’t had a chance to watch one as yet but it is definitely on my list as I love Brennan Elliott AND Niagara on the Lake. We visited a number of years ago and hope to return one day to do the Ice Wine tasting and so much more.
My laugh-out-loud moment was the Hallmark brand wine commercial in a wine themed movie! Just too funny!
I love Brennan. However, this movie didn’t work. I saw zero chemistry btwn him and the actress. And because of that, you lose me as a viewer.
I do agree about the Christmas Ring. Cute pairing of actors and I enjoyed the story.