'Perfect on Paper' (2014)
Opening thoughts: Really liked the concept for 'Perfect on Paper', it sounded really cute and charming and with the potential to be a good mix of light hearted and sweet. This is the main reason as to why the film was watched, as well as that it was part of my Hallmark film completest sake started in 2018. As said a few times, 2014 was a very up and down year for Hallmark, but it did have some good films (a few very good) and a few of them were from premises that did not sound appealing.
'Perfect on Paper' is the anti-thesis of perfect and just didn't do much for me at all. It is not one of the worst 2014 Hallmark films, and they have in my view certainly done a lot worse overall. But they have also done a lot better on both counts. 'Perfect on Paper' actually had one of the more appealing and nostalgic premises of the year for Hallmark on paper, but sadly it was also it was one of the bigger wastes of potential. Which is every frustrating as finding a film to be bad.
Good things: While the acting was mostly not good at all, Morgan Fairchild gives it her absolute all in her role and is great fun to watch. Bryce Clyde Jenkins also brings some charm to his role.
Did think too that the scenery was nice and the photography had slickness and professionalism at least. There are moments of cuteness and charm.
Bad things: Sadly they were too far and between. Lindsay Hartley is one of the worst miscastings this viewer has seen in a long time, her role required a good deal of warmth and charm and Hartley's performance has neither. She is agreed too old for her role and is too cold and severe, as well as overdoing all of her character's over-negative emotions. Drew Fuller is bland and underplays too much as a sketchily developed character. The chemistry between them isn't there and is too mechanical. The rest of the cast are either too hammy or don't look as if they are enjoying themselves.
No wonder though as the script is very stop-start in flow and goes overboard on the cheese and awkwardness. The story is mundane in pacing and is bland in atmosphere, no heart or charm and it takes itself too seriously to be light-hearted. Which makes the excessive predictability of everything that happens hard to overlook. The music doesn't appeal, sounding quite cheap, and needed a lot more variety. The direction indicated someone who didn't know what they were doing.
Concluding thoughts: Overall, very lacklustre.
4/10.
