The Perfect Find Review: Starring Gabrielle Union, Tyler Antonius, DB Woodside, Gina Torres, Aisha Hinds, La La Anthony, Keith Powers, Janet Hubert, Devale Ellis, TS Madison, Sterling Brim, Alix Kermes, Numa Perrier, Diana Noris, Robert Z Grant, Kali Cook, Victoria Richards, Tanisha Grant, Stephanie Mitsuko Matsuba and Lina Green, alongside other cast members, this movie is directed by Numa Perrier.
Leigh Davenport serves as the screenplay writer, while Jeff Morrone, Codie Elaine Oliver, Tommy Oliver, Holly Shakoor Fleischer and Gabrielle Union serve as producers. The cinematography is done by Eric Lin, while Paul Millspaugh serves as the editor of the film. The Perfect Find is based on a book of the same name by the author Tia Williams. This movie has a runtime of 99 minutes.
Some of the best romantic comedies have been ones that don’t take themselves too seriously. Unlike this one, though, this one takes itself seriously and gives the entire rom-com genre a backbone. Apart from the brilliant validation it gives the people who watch this genre, it also serves as a brilliant reminder of the fact that there are writers who are willing to bypass all normalcy and write a story that is heart-wrenching in the best possible ways.
We start off by seeing the female protagonist go through perhaps the darkest time of her life in order to build her reputation back up, and the way she bounces back onto this is remarkable. Additionally, the way she is written is extremely informative of the maturity and, frankly, the nonchalance that comes with being experienced at living and working.
Adding to that, the male character comes in with direct contrast, pulling her out of her shell and showing her the magic of seeing and doing something new, even when there is no reason to do that. It must be noted that even all the other characters in the movie exist as their own people without being extensions of what the main character thinks to be okay or not. In that case, they have built everyone with care and respect.
Having all the characters either be Black or Brown is yet another laurel for Perrier because the casting is an absolute masterpiece. Gabriel Union brings all her talent to this character. She can honestly rely on the writing because the character construction is done flawlessly. There is a zing between the main characters because there is that magic of their personalities that create an engaging collaboration.
Apart from all the brilliant elements of the writing, the visual element is equally thrilling because every montage, every cut and every overlap is planned and executed so well. There is definitely a well-oiled machine working behind the scenes to make all of this possible on screen. The visual references, call-backs, and poetic writing are so intelligent, it makes the viewer feel intelligent to discover and coy to witness something like that.
Moreover, all the right notes were hit when it comes to what makes a rom-com fun to watch. The initial angst was surprising, with a little bit of enemies-to-lovers action, the middle got fun with them discovering what it was like to be with each other, and finally, the breaking point was well set up, but with the kind of miscommunication that took place between the characters, it almost seems like convenient writing.
Also Read: Through My Window Across the Sea Review: Toxic Erotica That’s Atleast Visually Cool for the Summer
In such cases, it is best to invoke the original author, Tia Williams, whose books have the same energy this movie has. Props to the adaptation team for making this one of the best translated works just for capturing the author’s voice in the visual medium. However, that means they’ve also encapsulated the things that generally make her books a little difficult to handle.
Including but not limited to her cliched writing, the presentation of testosterone as a popular trope in the romance genre makes this movie more or less the step-sibling of every 2000s romcom ever. It honestly feels forced and outdated. Given the modernity of her female protagonists, the treatment her male protagonist got is average, to say the least.
The Perfect Find Review: Final Thoughts
This movie is definitely fun to watch. The kind where you invite your friends for a sleepover to snuggle in and question the existence of the men that actually exist in society. However, one mustn’t put too much strain on the seriousness of this movie because it is just as every rom-com tries to be but falls somewhat short.
Even then, some of the vibes in this movie are so immaculate; it is almost difficult to look at this from a lens of unbiasedness. The rom-com genre gets a lot of traction, and this one definitely deserves to rank somewhere on the top.
The Perfect Find is currently streaming on Netflix.
What do you think of the film? Is it one of the best from-coms this year? Let us know in the comments below.
Also Read: Swagger Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Back in the Game With a Humble Start