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A war of mistrust
This is a film all about conflicts of interests, where each of the main protagonists chooses the 'wrong path' because they think it is of most benefit yet they simply become tied up in a web of deceit where their enemies really are close. Emily is naive and truly believes ... Read review
The husband (Michael Douglas) is a currency trader whose portfolio value is going right ... more
down the drain. The wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) is the heiress to a $100 million fortune. The marriage is not a happy one, but the promise of long-term affluence keeps t...
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The husband (Michael Douglas) is a currency trader whose portfolio value is going right ... more
down the drain. The wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) is the heiress to a $100 million fortune. The marriage is not a happy one, but the promise of long-term affluence keeps t...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Wall Street titan Steven Taylor seems like a devoted husband. He isn't. Beautiful Emily ... more
Bradford Taylor seems like a faithful wife. She isn't. And when Steven hires Emily's lover to kill her, it seems like a Perfect Murder. It isn't. In fact, little is...
Wall Street titan Steven Taylor seems like a devoted husband. He isn't. Beautiful Emily ... more
Bradford-Taylor seems like a faithful wife. She isn't. And when Steven hires Emily's lover to kill her it seems like A Perfect Murder. It isn't. In fact little is...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Victor Smiley and his wife Joan have been married for nearly twenty years, but each barely ... more
recognises the person they wake up with every morning. Victor is so fed up with his job at the local egg-box factory -as well as distracted by his visits to his favourite prostitute, Kamila- that he hardly notices his wife's constant ridicule.
Kathy Marie Augustine was not out to make friends. In politics, she rose to the top by ... more
playing hardball. When she died, only a few people shed tears - including the man who killed her. This title takes us into the life and death of a famously ambitious woman politician, behind the scenes of the investigation that unearthed secrets.
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Advantages: Fascinating characters Disadvantages: Not original
...is having an affair with a younger man, David Shaw (Viggo Mortensen) - who is an artist. He takes the opportunity to visit the man and rather than attacking him, decides to provide him with an incentive to kill Emily. Hesitant at first, David is tempted towards the opportunity and also unprepared to face whatever threat would lie before him should he refuse - so he decides to accept the contract. Together they plan the 'perfect murder' whilst Emily ... ...man is arranging for her a violent ending, but she is not one to go down without a fight.
A war of mistrust
This is a film all about conflicts of interests, where each of the main protagonists chooses the 'wrong path' because they think it is of most benefit yet they simply become tied up in a web of deceit where their enemies really are close. Emily is naive and truly believes that she has broken her husband's trust, ... more
Story
Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas) plays the husband of an incredibly wealthy woman, Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow), who he discovers is having an affair with a younger man, David Shaw (Viggo Mortensen) - who is an artist. He takes the opportunity to visit the man and rather than attacking him, decides to provide him with an incentive to kill Emily. Hesitant at first, David is tempted towards the opportunity and also unprepared to face whatever threat would lie before him should he refuse - so he decides to accept the contract. Together they plan the 'perfect murder' whilst Emily remains completely oblivious to the danger that lies ahead. She feels terribly guilty about her affair yet confides in her closest friend how tired she is of the cold, apathetic attitude of her husband and the bond she feels with the new man in her life. Little does she know this very man is arranging for her a violent ending, but she is not one to go down without a fight.
A war of mistrust
This is a film all about conflicts of interests, where each of the main protagonists chooses the 'wrong path' because they think it is of most benefit yet they simply become tied up in a web of deceit where their enemies really are close. Emily is naive and truly believes that she has broken her husband's trust, which in a sense, she has - but she is also foolish enough to believe that both her husband and 'boyfriend' can be trusted. The most dramatic moment in this film is as her husband, who participates in her attack by making an anonymous call, sits back coldly and without any emotion listening to the proceeding fight. This in itself is shocking, but it really brings home the message that something like this could be done by the one person she would least suspect.
I can't help but wonder whether such characters really exist, but although I find it hard to imagine the scene in this film occurring in reality, I know as well as anyone how empty words like 'love' and 'trust' can be to some. Most of us have not (I certainly hope) met a man who pays his wife's boyfriend to kill her, but we have all come across people who know how to appear as though they have our best interests at heart when there is a hidden agenda on their minds.
Acting
Michael Douglas has something in his natural behaviour that makes him perfect for this film. It is very hard to explain, but he has such a neutral expression that there is plenty of room for a calculating killer in his characters. That is not to say that as a person in real life he has any hidden motives in his marriage. No really, I'm sure it is all very innocent.
Throughout the film he shows only hints of anger and otherwise little or no emotion at all, yet I doubt this was an easy role to play, because it means really controlling those human feelings that naturally surface when something terrible happens - even if you know it is not real.
Gwyneth Paltrow was moving, yet a strong character. To me she remains ridiculously naive, which is a shame. The scenes prior to her attack are also slightly disappointing, as they resemble - too closely - so many other scenes from those corny old horror movies. Perhaps it is her guilt that makes her jumpy, but she seems less a guilty person than one afraid that a psycho-stalker lurks behind her bedroom cupboard door.
Viggo Mortensen excels in this film. He manages to play a most devious of characters, both showing 'pretend feelings' as he continues his undercover relationship with Emily and yet a brutal, selfish creature that becomes entirely concerned with getting his money, whatever it takes. At one point he asks of Steven "Do you want me to keep f***ing your wife?"
Film qualities
The film uses music sparingly (or perhaps I am going deaf - feel free to comment lol).. yet I suppose this has the effect of allowing you to feel the impact of what is actually happening in the film, rather than because the soundtrack dictates so. In a way this shows how good the plot and acting of the film is - because it is not needed to enhance the film. It also seems a little old-fashioned to overuse music. Of course there is some mild suspense music building up to Emily's attack and where used the music seems fairly appropriate but often barely noticeable.
Graphic-wise, the film is simple and as realistic as possible. Although nothing is held back from the viewer in terms of gore and blood, the focus of the film is more on the relationships between characters, the tension and drama than violence and action. Violence is used to show how ruthless our two 'killers' can be, rather than for the sake of it.
Gwyneth Paltrow dresses like a true aristocrat (if that is the appropriate term) in this film and her costumes are both modern-stylish and of high-society. Our artist has the predictable image of rough, long hair, un-brushed, and over-worn linen clothes. Douglas wears mostly smart suits and appears constantly business-like.
The classification
There are, as should (I suppose) be expected with this type of film, violent, bloody scenes and 'scenes of a sexual nature'. I tend to argue that any such film showing sex - which this film virtually does - should be rated 18. However this is a 15. It is not exactly aimed at a young audience - I would suggest 20s and above are most likely to be interested in this kind of film - so my views remain that it ought to be classified as 18, but it is not... so there you go.
Over all
I found, although not totally gripping, I was definitely intrigued by this film and saw it through mostly out of curiosity of how it would end. Some parts were less memorable but certainly I found this film impressed me with the 'how low can you go?' achievements of the husband.
It is not a film I would describe as particularly moving or exciting but it certainly affects the viewer. I could probably watch this film a few times simply because I am fascinated by such scenes as the attack and the surprise I felt at how cold people could be, but I have to admit it is not a particularly unique or original film so if you are seeking something special this might not be it.
Advantages: Good cast, strong performances Disadvantages: Don't like alternative ending
...JEALOUS LOVER.....ALL OF THEM HAS A MOTIVE.....EACH OF THEM HAS A PLAN.....THREE PEOPLE, ONE TRIANGLE". Those are the kind of statements which really got me interested in the film, and the fact that the extremely handsome Viggo Mortenson had a starring role was a pretty big plus point for me, as well as the fact that Andrew Davis was directing, and he also directed one of my favourite films, The Fugitive. I wondered whether he would be as successful ... ...by Michael Douglas. He is a wealthy and successful currency trader, and on the surface seems to have the perfect marriage to the equally wealthy Emily Bradford Taylor played by Gwyneth Paltrow, who works for United Nations. At first I had doubts over how believeable this marriage would seem, but the chemistry between the two leads actors makes for very believable performances, but that aside, it is the unmistakable chemistry betweeen the characters ...
nicanddarrell 09.02.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of A Perfect Murder (DVD)
Advantages: It's average Disadvantages: Bad Ending. It's very average
A Perfect Murder is a remake of the Hitchcock film, Dial M for Murder. It stars Michael Douglas as a Wall Street player who discovers that his wife, Gwyneth Paltrow is having an affair with a young artist.
Mrs Zeta-Jones decides that he wants his wife dead and hatches a well thought out plan to kill his wife asking her lover to do the deed for him. Surprisingly, things go very wrong, the prefect murder is far from perfect (I won't give anything ... ...and no-one else really gets a look in.
The planning of the "perfect" murder is intriguing (if that's the right word) and some of the twists do catch you off guard but bar the film is very average and let down by a disappointing ending that doesn't sit well with the rest of the film.
The DVD has an alternative ending which is a little better although still would have been a let down. The director tries to explain his reasons for it on an alternative ...
Ork1927 24.04.2001 (23.04.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of A Perfect Murder (DVD)
Advantages: nice performances Disadvantages: it was complicatiimg understanding the movie
the perfect murder is based pn mr knott's play dial m for murder his was flimed by mr hitchcokc i do not remember the year this story is based with murder who mr micheal douglas was involved with david shaw was aware of this affair the past of david was research by stephen his also visited his loft studio and david that he also knen abiut the jail sendtences and various pros and cons and scam direct the rich wormen mr stephen offers david $500050 ... ...here is where the story starts they tried make the murder that is was accident but the it was done purposely the movies was suspense till the end of the flim if u have not seen yet i think u should see it and u will loved who like suppense story that is all i can rememember about the flim here are the acting actor and actress of the flim Michael Douglas was as Steven Taylor
Gwyneth Paltrow - was as Emily Bradford
Viggo Mortensen - was as David ...
gknetzone 26.08.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of A Perfect Murder (DVD)
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Advantages: Good story Disadvantages: Very slow starting
initiating another member into their sick, deadly game of how to commit the perfect undetectable murder.
At first this film seems like another run of the mill horror film with not much to it but after about half an hour of watching this film starts to warm up & quickly gets interesting. It has a good strong story to it, although very graphic it is actually very watchable & enthrals you completely into their sick game of murder.
The DVD's special features include;
Audio commentary with the director & producer
Creating the perfectmurder
A conversation with a real pathologist
A music video
An extended autopsy scene
Although this film is a little slow it does capture your imagination after about half an hour & you will want to watch this all the way through as it has a good ending. ...
Great_reviewer07 19.01.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Pathology (DVD)
Emily, a woman from a wealthy family and heiress to a one million dollar trust fund, marries a millionaire. The marriage is not an emotionally fulfilling one for Emily and she forms a friendship with a struggling artist. When her husband discovers their affair he begins to plan the perfect murder...
Audio Commentary, Alternate Ending With Two Separate Audio Tracks, Production Notes
Aspect Ratio
4:3 Full Frame, 16:9 Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
DVD Description
Emily Bradford (Paltrow) is a society daughter married to the successful Steven Taylor (Douglas). Heiress to a huge family fortune, Emily is due to inherit a one hundred million dollar trust fund much to the delight of her conniving husband. An adulterous transgression by Emily with the even more devious David (Mortenson) gives Steven a chance to try and outwit them both for the big prize. Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film "Dial M for Murder."
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