Entre le cœur et la raison

Lindsay Hartley is a book editor working out of Portland Oregon with a great head for pulling the best points out of a book and a lousy heart for picking guys to fall in love with. So, when her best friend calls her down to Los Angeles to edit best-selling author Morgan Fairchild's latest trashy romance novel, she finds herself trapped between Miss Fairchild's take-it-or-leave-it attitude and two guys. One of the guys looks perfect on paper; he's a rising entertainment lawyer. The other is a nice ne'er-do-well.

Well, it's a Hallmark romantic comedy, so we know how it will turn out, complete with the well-mannered Black boy Lindsay and the nice guy mentor. Nonetheless, director Ron Oliver gets some good performances out of his actors. Morgan Fairchild shows some subtlety and frozen humor in her role, quite at odds with the writing. In fact, the script seems to have extraneous issues stripped out to pace the whole show faster and funnier than it rates to be.

It's still not great, but it is a very watchable time-waster.

Cinderella, the Prince Charming, the Witch ( bad- good). And a fake fairy tale , in the frame of editor work and generousity - anonymous - of a young philantropist. The film is saved by Morgan Fairchild , reminding more a character of Beverly novels than a writer of them. Lindsay Hartley is the worst option for the role of Natalie.

'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.

These characters are not likable, they're problems are drivel, and could easily be overcome by finishing a conversation instead of becoming offended before the sentence is even finished, and walking away. The writing is stilted and boring. Someone needs to smack the interferring best friend/boss, but maybe that's what happens when you have 20-somethings running a publishing house...

Oy! I love Hallmark Movies. They are a guilty, wonderful pleasure. However, the lead actress, Lindsay Hartley, is grossly miscast and horribly declamatory in this role. The acting is just so awful. I couldn't get past it to enjoy any part of the story. I see why this one airs rarely. Not a fan favorite.