One Perfect Match finds its sweet spot telling the story of matchmaker Lucy Marks and the businessman she meets on the job, Finn Grayson.
By Laura BennettWednesday 28 Feb 2024Hope AfternoonsMoviesReading Time: 2 minutes
Australia might not have the same access to Hallmark movies as America, but in recent years, locally produced titles like Delta Goodrem’s Love is in the Air, Romance in the Vineyardor Mistletoe Ranch have gotten us pretty close to the heart-warming tone fans enjoy.
Behind them all is Jaggi Entertainment, a Queensland-based production company that’s found love to be pretty lucrative with over a third of their content dedicated to the genre, including new release One Perfect Match.
Director Jo-Anne Brechin – who’s made three movies with the company so far – told Hope 103.2 she “loves the genre” because it’s “timeless”.
Joshua Sasse, Jo-Anne Brechin and Merritt Patterson on the set of ‘One Perfect Match’, Photo by Vince Valitutti
“Love is what stories have been written about since the beginning of time,” Jo-Anne said.
Romance movies are a mix of aspiration, cheesiness and warmth and “you’re up against a lot to try and make something fresh and new”. “It’s a craft to balance [those things].”
One Perfect Match finds its sweet spot on screen telling the story of matchmaker Lucy Marks (Merritt Patterson) and the businessman she meets on the job, Finn Grayson (Joshua Sasse). The two hit it off during a chance encounter, but have to keep things professional when Lucy realises he’s one of her new clients.
“Lucy is busy finding love for everyone else, but hasn’t found it for herself yet,” Jo-Anne said.
“There’s something nice about that wholesomeness that is lovely to show in 2024.”
Jo-Anne’s own career has been one of dreaming and chasing the thing you love, starting out on the streets of Western Sydney making short films with whatever money she had at the time. "I saved every dollar that I earned working at McDonald’s in Blacktown and made films with them,” Jo-Anne said.
Jo-Anne wants people see that “life is that much sweeter with love, and hopefully everyone can get a little sprinkle in their life”.
“Thankfully my family were super supportive. Unlike a lot of filmmakers, none of my family were in the film industry, so I didn’t have money or connections. Mum catered every film, Dad built props for every film and my sister got dragged into it begrudgingly as well."
“They allowed me to get my start.”
In One Perfect Match Jo-Anne wants people see that “life is that much sweeter with love, and hopefully everyone can get a little sprinkle in their life”.
One Perfect Match will be playing in select cinemas from February 29. Find your nearest screening on Romance Club.