‘The Perfect Find’ Review: The Actors Put the Spark in This Film

Jenna Jones had all of it: a wonderful profession at a vogue journal, energy coupledom with a good-looking man named Brian — their mixed warmth had even melted them into one headline-ready portmanteau entity, Brijenna.

Then Jenna misplaced each job and relationship in a spectacular public crash. We can solely guess at what occurred as a result of her rise and fall are rapidly summarized in a collage of headlines throughout the opening credit of the Netflix romantic comedy “The Perfect Find.”

What went down doesn’t matter anyway: What does is that Jenna will get again up, and that Gabrielle Union endows her with the form of informal charisma discovered solely amongst elite members of the rom-com world. Good factor Union steers “The Perfect Find” with such sunny heat and relatable poise, too, as a result of the director, Numa Perrier, and screenwriter, Leigh Davenport (adapting Tia Williams’s 2016 novel of the identical title), are usually not as assured.

After a yr hiding out at her mother and father’ home, Jenna returns to New York to rebuild her life. Sucking up her delight, she asks her frenemy — the good friend half may be very, very small — Darcy (Gina Torres) if there may a job in her media empire.

Darcy finally ends up hiring Jenna as artistic director, however not with out casually mentioning that our heroine has simply turned 45 (even when her pores and skin in all probability glows even when she’s asleep).

Since good issues are available pairs, Jenna virtually instantly falls for courtly, passionate Eric (Keith Powers), a videographer who occurs to be a brand new colleague, a lot youthful, and Darcy’s son.

They embark on an affair that have to be stored secret from their frequent boss, which ought to be straightforward since Darcy is barely round. Torres is tragically underused, as are Aisha Hinds and Alani “La La” Anthony as Jenna’s greatest associates.

On knowledgeable stage, Jenna and Eric prepare dinner up a brand new phase referred to as “the perfect find” for Darzine, Darcy’s hilariously named, effectively, journal, which permits them to discover their shared style for the classic and the retro-classy. The adorkable lovebirds are additionally each followers of previous Hollywood films, bonding over their admiration for the golden-age Black actress Nina Mae McKinney.

“The Perfect Find” is hampered by stilted dialogue and comedy that always falls flat, in addition to a definite lack of fizz for a movie set within the vogue world. Fortunately, it’s saved by two fleet-footed leads who’ve mastered the 2 steps ahead, one step again dance on the coronary heart of romantic comedy.

The Perfect Find
Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes. Watch on Netflix.