Moacir Fuhr
I didn't see the original, but this was awful. There is absolutety nothing "perfect" about this guy's plan. Everybody in this movie is actually quite stupidy: The husband, the lover, the wife, they all act like morons. The plan of the husband is idiotic and he end up killing the guy in a public place. Everybody end up dead in the end, except the adulteress wife. Terrible ending, by the way. I was waiting the entire film thinking: "I wanna see this perfect plan, its gonna by awesome", well, it's not. The script sucks! Don't waste your time watching this.
namashi_1
A modern remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film Dial M for Murder, 'A Perfect Murder' has some absorbing moments and yet it never convinces you entirely. Its definitely interesting in parts & Michael Douglas is unmatchable, but the Writing isn't always arresting.'A Perfect Murder' Synopsis: Millionaire industrialist Steven Taylor (A Stellar Michael Douglas) is a man who has everything but what he craves most: the love and fidelity of his wife (Gwyneth Paltrow). A hugely successful player in the New York financial world, he considers her to be his most treasured acquisition. But she needs more than simply the role of dazzling accessory. Brilliant in her own right, she works at the U.N. and is involved with a struggling artist (Viggo Mortensen) who fulfills her emotional needs. When her husband discovers her indiscretion, he sets out to commit the perfect murder. 'A Perfect Murder' begins well, but stumbles in the middle, and picks up for a fantabulous culmination. There's no denying there's true merit in here, but the sequences once after the husband decides to kill his wife, fall flat. Its only when things get darker, towards the end, that things pick up rapidly. Its an erratic film, that switches between being gripping & flat.Patrick Smith Kelly's Adapted Screenplay is a mixed-bag. Its convincing in parts, but falls short otherwise. A little more edgier middle, would've done wonders. Andrew Davis's Direction credits a special mention. He's handled the film really well. Dariusz Wolski's Cinematography is perfect. Dennis Virkler & Dov Hoenig's Editing is mostly sharp. Art & Costume Design are superb. Make-Up, too, is well-done.Performance-Wise: Douglas is delightfully menacing. Right from his piercing eyes, to his husky voice, & his volatile body-language, The Hollywood Legend steals the show. Gwyneth Paltrow looks lanky, but enacts her part well. Viggo Mortensen could've been stronger, but he gets limited scope, one of the reasons, why he doesn't stand out. David Suchet is first-rate.On the whole, 'A Perfect Murder' appeals in parts. Watch it for Douglas!
juneebuggy
This was better than I was expecting it to be, full of twists and turns and holding a decent level of suspense throughout. Admittedly I never really bought into the idea of Michael Douglas being married to Gweneth Paltrow but they both did a great job. Douglas plays (another) wealthy executive type here, who learns that his wife is having an affair with a struggling artist and then offers the (very young and probably for the time not well known) Viggo Mortensen half a million dollars to murder her. The plan should have been "perfect" but....This is apparently a remake of the Alfred Hitchcock classic 'Dial M for Murder'(1954) which I'm curious to see now, and a slick little thriller in its own right, as I wasn't ever sure where it was going to go what with everybody betraying everybody. Good plot.I also really enjoyed David Suchet in a small role as the detective, piecing it all together. I was left wondering at the end though if "David" really loved her or not? On that note Olivier Martinez played almost exactly the same character in Unfaithful -a somewhat tortured, sexy, bohemian, struggling artist. They even looked similar 10/4/15
SnoopyStyle
Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow) is the wife of wealthy New Yorker Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas). She's an aide to UN Ambassador Alice Wills and having an affair with painter David Shaw (Viggo Mortensen). Steven suspects her infidelity and is in dire financial trouble. He also discovers that David is con man named Winston Lagrange and offers him $500k to kill his wife. After the break-in, police detective Mohamed Karaman (David Suchet) investigates.In the original, Alfred Hitchcock is able to create some limited sympathy for Grace Kelly by making her a blackmail victim. There is no such feelings for Gwyneth Paltrow. Also David Shaw is a con man in this version so there is no likability for the cheating couple. Douglas is a great slick puppet master but I don't really care about these people. It's great to have Douglas slithering across the screen but director Andrew Davis is unable to generated the needed tension or thrills.
AD
