A high-profile fashion career collides with a secret romance in The Perfect Find, the second film from director Numa Perrier. But as romantic comedies go, it's less "perfect" than it is "serviceable, with a few high points."
Gabrielle Union stars as Jenna Jones, a 40-year-old fashion editor who recently hit a major slump after a brutal firing and breakup with her boyfriend of 10 years. After a year of wallowing at home, she's ready to make a comeback. She lands a job working for her former rival Darcy Hill (Gina Torres) at her fashion magazine, Darzine. However, sparks fly when Jenna connects with Darzine's videographer — and Darcy's son — Eric (Keith Powers). That leads us to the age-old rom-com question: Will Jenna have to choose between a successful career and her great love? Or can she truly have it all?
SEE ALSO: 50 films we can't wait to see this summerThe Perfect Find mixes familiar rom-com beats with new twists.
Gabrielle Union and Keith Powers in "The Perfect Find." Credit: Alyssa Longchamp / NetflixThe career vs. relationship conundrum is a tried-and-true formula for romantic comedies, but The Perfect Find, based on the novel by Tia Williams, breaks from the mold a bit with both the age difference between Jenna and Eric and his relationship to Darcy. It's more than easy to understand why Jenna would want to keep their relationship a secret, given that Eric is younger than her and that he's the son of her boss. However, it's also easy to see where Eric is coming from when he begins to have doubts about staying hidden.
Between making out on the Brooklyn Bridge and watching drive-in movies, Jenna and Eric work together on a video project for Darzine meant to boost their underperforming subscription option. The series, which Jenna titles "The Perfect Find," recreates iconic looks from Old Hollywood, but with modern designers — or at least, I think it does. The Perfect Find doesn't focus too much on the specifics of this joint project, preferring to speed through video shoots with montages.
SEE ALSO: A fiery immigration narrative and a rom-com collide in Pixar's 'Elemental'It's a shame, as Jenna's passion for her work is one of the most compelling aspects of the film, and her creative collaboration with Eric could provide another lens through which to view their relationship. We get a glimpse of it in a poignant scene in which the two bond over their appreciation of Nina Mae McKinney, one of the first Black leading actors in Hollywood, also known as "the Black Garbo." Not only is it a sweet scene between our main couple — it's also an effective tribute to an undersung Black film star, complete with footage from her films.
The Perfect Find's main romance lacks heat.
Keith Powers and Gabrielle Union in "The Perfect Find." Credit: Alyssa Longchamp / NetflixUnion and Powers have solid chemistry, especially in scenes that require more dramatic heavy lifting, such as Eric telling Jenna about his dead father. Their first meeting — a chance encounter at a party where both are instantly smitten — is a whirlwind romance all on its own as well. But several other aspects of their relationship leave much to be desired.
For starters, when Jenna and Eric reconnect at work, their claims that their first meeting meant nothing lead to snide comment after snide comment, often about their age difference. She claims his generation is spoiled, he calls her bitter. It's all a little too mean-spirited to suggest romantic banter, and any dialogue that's meant to crackle with unresolved sexual tension instead falls flat.
SEE ALSO: 10 best rom-coms on HBO Max in 2023Speaking of falling flat, let's talk about The Perfect Find's steamier sequences. Jenna and Eric's make-out sessions go all out, with some allusions to further intimacy and sexy, open dialogue between the two. But every time, without fail, The Perfect Find fades to black (accompanied by one of the film's many needle drops). I'm not saying we need to see a full-fledged sex scene every time characters hook up, but there are many ways to move on from a sex scene or even show characters' pleasure in a way that's not too explicit. A fade-out in this case is a cinematic cop-out, and to see it used over and over again in The Perfect Find — which certainly isn't afraid to get raunchy, dialogue-wise — is disappointing.
The Perfect Find boasts a stellar supporting cast.
Gina Torres in "The Perfect Find." Credit: Alyssa Longchamp / NetflixWhile The Perfect Find occasionally struggles with its central relationship, it won't let you down with its supporting characters. Torres steals damn near every scene she's in as Darcy, waltzing through the Darzine offices in high fashion looks like a 2023 Miranda Priestley. The film's final act brings out her softer side in a nice touch of versatility, but it is such a pleasure to watch her in full girl-boss mode. Erica and Lina Green round out Darcy's posse as her two similarly dressed assistants, adding to her near-mythic status in the fashion world.
In true rom-com fashion, The Perfect Find also introduces Jenna's die-hard group of besties, played by Aisha Harris and La La Anthony. The three share a wonderful rapport in their group scenes. There's a natural friendly chemistry there, especially throughout an early dinner party sequence, that makes me wish for a movie centering their friendship instead of a romantic relationship. A slew of cameos add some extra fun to the movie, including Remy Ma and Ts Madison in a scene-stealing role.
Still, the fact that The Perfect Find's side characters upstage its main romance speaks to the film's larger problems. Union and Powers share some great scenes, but Jenna and Eric's relationship doesn't get the development it needs to bring it to the next level. At its best, The Perfect Find is a perfectly fun flick — but at its worst, it feels like a rom-com simply running through the motions.
The Perfect Find was reviewed out of its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. It hits Netflix June 23.
