`PERFECT' IMPERFECT IN PLOT, CHARACTERS.Byline: Glenn Whipp Daily News Film Critic ``A Perfect Murder'' is an imperfect thriller, an eager-to-please movie that delivers a few tingles but not nearly enough tension for its audience to willingly surrender and suspend disbelief. That leaves the viewer in a knowing no man's land, completely aware of whodunit and why, but not particularly interested in sticking around to see how the whole thing turns out. Michael Douglas stars as Steven Taylor Steven Taylor may refer to:
Emily comes from old money; thus, she certainly didn't marry Steven for his mastery of margin trading Margin trading Buying securities, in part, with borrowed money. margin trading The buying and selling of securities in an account in which money is owed to the brokerage firm. . Why she married Steven at all is a question the film never bothers to address. Why Steven might have married her is gradually revealed in his amoral a·mor·al adj. 1. Not admitting of moral distinctions or judgments; neither moral nor immoral. 2. Lacking moral sensibility; not caring about right and wrong. behavior after he discovers her indiscretion in·dis·cre·tion n. 1. Lack of discretion; injudiciousness. 2. An indiscreet act or remark. indiscretion Noun 1. the lack of discretion 2. . Steven confronts Shaw with proof of the adultery, and with evidence of something more. It turns out Shaw - which is not his real name - has been twice convicted of separating rich women from their fortunes. But instead of using this information to chase Shaw away, Steven attempts to employ it as blackmail and tempt Shaw into murdering his wife. (Wouldn't divorce on the grounds of adultery make more sense? Just asking.) The movie is a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's ``Dial M for Murder,'' a rather slight work by the legendary director that was largely an adaptation of an old play of the same name. Director Andrew Davis (``The Fugitive'') has opened his version up, taking us out of the Taylors' well-appointed Manhattan penthouse and placing much of the action in some 70 locations throughout New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , including the United Nations building, the Ellis Island Ferry and the Fulton Fish Market The Fulton Fish Market is a fish market in New York, United States. It was originally a wing of the Fulton Market, established in 1822 to sell a variety of foodstuffs and produce. . The locales certainly give ``A Perfect Murder'' a high-gloss sheen, but they can't disguise some of the movie's problems. Chief among them is Paltrow's character. It's obvious the filmmakers want us to see Emily as smart and perceptive, but they keep placing her in situations where we have no choice but to think the opposite. Her reactions to some of the plot's twists and turns simply do not register as believable, much less sympathetic. And without a rooting interest, the audience is left watching rather dispassionately dis·pas·sion·ate adj. Devoid of or unaffected by passion, emotion, or bias. See Synonyms at fair1. dis·pas as the movie's house of cards house of cards n. pl. houses of cards A flimsy structure, arrangement, or situation that is in danger of collapsing or failing: "The collapse of the rupiah . . . story inevitably plays out. Douglas, playing an aging, millionaire hustler whose financial empire is about to crumble, provides most of the film's true pleasures. Few actors convey seething seethe intr.v. seethed, seeth·ing, seethes 1. To churn and foam as if boiling. 2. a. To be in a state of turmoil or ferment: , controlled anger better than Douglas, who takes dialogue like, ``I always thought the word `bludgeon' had a spur-of-the-moment sound'' and makes it so deliciously vile that you can't help but smile. He's Gordon Gekko 10 years later - longer in the tooth, wider in the waistband and three steps closer to hell. His reactions alone are almost worth a recommendation. But much of our enjoyment of Douglas' performance comes from our knowledge of the actor's history and not the movie itself. Davis has crafted a serviceable thriller, but fails to give the film any distinctive touches that might separate it from similar fare. That's why ``A Perfect Murder'' makes for passable pass·a·ble adj. 1. That can be passed, traversed, or crossed; navigable: a passable road. 2. Acceptable for general circulation: passable currency. 3. entertainment, but not the kind of movie anyone would look to remake 40 years from now. THE FACTS The film: ``A Perfect Murder'' (R; violence, sexuality, language). The stars: Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Viggo Mortensen and David Suchet. Behind the scenes: Directed by Andrew Davis. Written by Patrick Smith Kelly. Released by Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) . Running time: One hour, 45 minutes. Playing: Citywide. Our rating: Two and One Half Stars. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Michael Douglas portrays Steven, who learns that his young trophy wife, Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow), is having an affair with a struggling artist and seeks the ultimate revenge in ``A Perfect Murder.'' |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion