5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A playboy named Charlie, convinced that all his relationships are dead, meets the beautiful and mysterious Eva. Agreeing to a casual affair, Charlie then wants a bit more from their relationship.
Starring: Terrence Jenkins, Paula Patton, Cassie Ventura, Donald Faison, Dascha PolancoComedy | 100% |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Rom-coms are not known for their innovative qualities, and that may in fact be one reason why they’re so relentlessly popular so much of the time. Audiences know what they’re in for going into one of these enterprises. Typically there will be a couple who indulge in a “hate at first sight” scenario, only to find true love blossoming later. Or there might actually be a romantic spark that’s felt initially but which encounters a series of obstacles, before the third act denouement of something approaching happily ever after. The Perfect Match telegraphs its proclivities with its very title, and if it never strays very far from a by now familiar set of romantic comedy rules, it’s generally agreeable if pretty shallow. The film may be best appreciated as a sort of “sub genre” entry, designed to appeal to African Americans who may not be totally swayed by the largely white worlds of films like Sleepless In Seattle or When Harry Met Sally.... (In this regard, the film may remind some of 1999’s The Best Man and its follow up, 2013’s The Best Man Holiday.) The Perfect Match posits a swinging single named Charlie (Terrence Jenkins, billed here as Terrence J) who is evidently catnip to women and who relishes his role as a master of the one night stand. Will Charlie forsake his tendency to go for the sexual gusto without any emotional commitment or lasting relationships? If you have any question about the eventual outcome of this query, you may not have seen enough romantic comedies, though it's notable that one of The Perfect Match's plot conceits is that Charlie's arc toward permanence is only half of the equation.
The Perfect Match is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This is yet another film whose film and/or capture technology has not been detailed on the IMDb, but the closing credits feature the Arri logo, for what that's worth, and occasional artifacts intrude (see screenshot 11) that would argue for digital capture. This transfer has generally very good levels of detail, especially in the brightly lit outdoor moments (which are numerous), but it's also an oddly kind of soft and gauzy looking enterprise some of the time, to the point that I started to actually wonder about focus pulling on occasion. These anomalies also tend to accrue, at least in part, around the edges of the frame for reasons I can't authoritatively unpack. Contrast is occasionally pushed, leading whites to bloom and detail levels to understandably suffer (see screenshot 5). Generally speaking, though, the palette looks very healthy and is often quite nicely vivid, and when close-ups are employed, detail levels are sharp and precise looking.
Director Bille Woodruff's long history with music videos may have helped to inform the choices on this film's soundtrack, presented on the Blu-ray disc i DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, for there's a near nonstop array of source cues running underneath this film, all of which spill through the surrounds quite winningly, and several of which feature pretty fulsome low end. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly, and the film's emphasis on several evocative Los Angeles locations provides quite a bit of opportunity for good placement of ambient environmental effects.
The Perfect Match takes a few passing glances at toying with well worn formulas in the romantic comedy genre, but it ultimately doesn't have the courage of its supposed convictions, sliding back into cliché at virtually every turn. The performers are glamorous and at least passably believable (again in true Tyler Perry fashion), but the film never really touches the heart, which is certainly where the most effective romantic comedies tend to reside. Technical merits are generally strong for those considering a purchase.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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