Playing Cupid

Well this had nothing to do with Emma as advertised in the promos, but it wasn't bad. There was enough antagonism between the two leads to get it off to an intriguing start. The father really had some serious control issues in the beginning but he wasn't over the top for too long. He made a very attractive leading man. The appearance of the ex-wife near the end threw an interesting wrench into the romance which had been preceding pretty much by rote up to then. The romance between the two youngsters was cute. Good acting on the part of the teens.

Having the daughter play matchmaker has been done before, but under the guise of a business project was different. Pairing up her classmates, other teachers, and even singles in their community at a special Valentine & Friendship dinner broadened her business plan. It wasn't exactly "Emma," but did anyone notice the name of the middle school was Austen? Clever!

Sweet story and good characters acted with emotion. Nice to see a mix of cultures via a teacher and restaurateur meeting by the young 'cupid'. A rare portrayal of Seattle weather that isn't pouring rain (it rarely does) and the grayness of the sky during the time of the year the movie is set in. If you are looking to get away for 1 1/2 hours this would be a good place to start.

Kerri Fox (Laura Vandervoort) assigns her class a project to start their own businesses. She's concerned about her student Clara Martinez and about her inattentive boyfriend. She breaks up with the boyfriend and is comforted by restaurant owner David Martinez (Nicholas Gonzalez). Clara decides to be a matchmaker for her school project.

It's Hallmark. The romance is obvious right from the start. The movie lays out its premise and it's a train on its straight forward tracks. It doesn't get off those tracks. There are no other tracks. The plot is inevitable which makes it perfect for Hallmark. The two leads look amazing and they're actually good. They have a good early safe conflict to heat up their chemistry. The kid is fine. It is perfect... for Hallmark.

2021 so far has been a mixed bag for Hallmark, which is true for their previous years too and their output in general. Considering the difficult circumstances, the standard could have been a lot worse. While there are some good winning efforts, such as 'A New Year's Resolution', there are also some major duds such as 'Beverly Hills Wedding'. The premise didn't sound anything exceptional, but it did sound sweet and the two leads have been watchable in other things.

Both are certainly more than watchable here in 'Playing Cupid' and it is a cute, while not being too cute, film. Not mind-blowingly amazing and far from perfect, but not the cheesy, overly sweet film it could easily have been if executed wrong and in the top middle 2021 Hallmark films. So much better than the previous Love Ever After outing from Hallmark 'Beverly Hills Wedding', as at least 'Playing Cupid' is a good film. That is of course in my hopefully respectful view.

'Playing Cupid' isn't perfect. It does feel a bit contrived towards the end, like the out of the blue return of the ex-wife, and ends too neatly, which is not uncommon for Hallmark actually.

David was also not easy to warm to straightaway, a bit uptight and abrasive to begin with. A bit of a slow starter perhaps as well.

However, both Laura Vandervoort and Nicholas Gonzalez are immensely engaging leads with bags of charm and feeling. Their chemistry is plentiful and genuine and actually develops at a rate that is not too fast or too aimlessly. The supporting cast are all strong, especially the spirited and heartfelt portrayal of the daughter. The chemistry doesn't ever feel disconnected and the characters don't come over as fake stereotypes and instead like real people worth caring for once one warms to them.

Once 'Playing Cupid' finds momentum, it's good natured, light-hearted and very charming, the cuteness not becoming too much and the playfulness not being forced. The script doesn't feel too corny or affected. The production values are slick enough and not cheap looking and the music doesn't intrude or overbear. The direction is not flashy, nor is it static.

In summary, not great but nice. 7/10.