Stream It or Skip It: ‘A Paris Proposal’ on Hallmark, Where Ad Execs Get Fake Married to Land a Big Account

Hallmark’s Loveuary celebration continues with A Paris Proposal, another entry in the classic pretend-to-be-married genre of romance movies — but with a Parisian twist! Does this make for a charming Valentine’s Day watch? Or is the film more provincial, more pedestrian, than other Hallmark affairs?

A PARIS PROPOSAL: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Alexa PenaVega plays Anna, a by-the-books advertising executive who’s tasked with traveling to Paris and landing the highly coveted Durand Diamonds account. Oh — and she has to travel with her coworker Sebastian (Nicholas Bishop), a passionate Parisian who only thinks in over-the-top ideas. Upon arriving in Paris and meeting with Durand, however, its Anna who accidentally takes a big swing: a slip of the tongue leads the founders of Durand Diamonds to think that she and Sebastian are a couple. A surprised Sebastian doubles down in order to save Anna from humiliation and suddenly these two people who had a hard time working together are sharing a hotel room, meeting his parents, and fumbling through physical affection, all while competing with a French ad firm for this major account. How long until these two go from acting like a couple to really being a couple? How long does A Paris Proposal last?

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Believe it or not, the cinematography, the direction, the ease of the performances all feel… kinda like Annie Hall or Manhattan, but in Paris? Listen, his movies are the only 1970s romances I’ve seen. Or, more accurately, A Paris Proposal really feels like the kind of understated, character-driven , charming romance movies from the 1970s and 1980s — y’know, like When Harry Met Sally. Every scene of this movie balances playfulness and maturity in a way that immediately sets it apart from every other Hallmark movie I’ve seen.

Performance Worth Watching: Nicholas Bishop is tasked with making a quintessential Frenchman, a mix of passion and nonchalance, fit into a Hallmark movie — and he succeeds. Sebastian is such a far cry from the hunky single fathers in blue jeans that we usually see in these movies, but he is every bit as charming.

Memorable Dialogue: Anna sees Sebastian buttering a croissant and says, “You know there are already 27 layers of butter on a croissant, right?” “27 layers of heaven,” replies Sebastian.

Our Take: How do you make a Hallmark movie that is unlike any other Hallmark movie while still being recognizable as a Hallmark movie? It turns out that if you give it plot elements that we’ve seen so many times before — ad execs trying to land a big account, a mismatched pair having to fake being a couple, etc. — you can then change everything else. That’s the trick that A Paris Proposal pulls off. The plot is nothing to remark upon, aside from the incredibly smart decision to make American Anna well-versed in Parisian culture. She’s no Emily in Paris; she can speak the language and she knows her way around. Love that the movie avoids the incredibly easy fish out of water jokes and instead focuses on the relationship between Anna and Sebastian.

And that’s what I want to remark upon. This is a Hallmark movie that feels like it’s about adults (while still being TV-G, of course). The movie does not shame either character for being good at their jobs, nor does it push them out of their high-stress careers and into something more Main Street, USA like baking or making candy or selling toys. The movie also isn’t terrified of the city. It’s set in Paris and was filmed — at least partially — in Paris. This is a Hallmark movie set in one of the world’s most prominent cities starring two professional, career-oriented adults. I mean, I don’t think a child speaks or even appears in this movie. No shade to all of the movies about single parents falling in love while trying to keep the bank from foreclosing on their family cupcake shop. I’m just saying that A Paris Proposal sets its sites on a completely different set of goals and it achieves every single one of them.

Like, here’s something I never thought I’d applaud in a Hallmark movie: the fashion. Of course if you set a movie in Paris, the looks have to be correct. Throughout the film, Anna turns look after look that are so above and beyond the cozy scarves and sweaters or the red, sweetheart neckline dresses that we usually see in these movies. A pink tweed suit, a black and white midi-length dress with an eye-catching origami detail — the costume department heard “Paris” and went for Paris.

A Paris Proposal isn’t just a Hallmark holiday romance without all of the lights and snow. Yeah, it has a familiar plot, but literally everything else about it is so unique, so captivating, so timeless. It’s anything other than pedestrian or provincial.

Our Call: STREAM IT. So far A Paris Proposal is the Hallmark movie to beat of 2023.