| A Fast-Paced Game
of Cat and Mouse By Karen Hershenson Contra Costa Times June 3, 1998 |
 |
The Michael Douglas Fan Page
FILM REVIEWS
| A Fast-Paced Game
of Cat and Mouse By Karen Hershenson Contra Costa Times June 3, 1998 |
|
MOST directors probably wouldn't want to get within 2 feet of a Hitchcock
classic like "Dial M For Murder," but Andrew Davis effectively reworks the story
in "A Perfect Murder."
With Gwyneth Paltrow as his Grace Kelly and Michael Douglas in the Ray Milland role,
Davis, whose previous credits include "The Fugitive," delivers a sophisticated
thriller oozing elegance and plenty of heart-pumping suspense.
It's full of unexpected twists and turns that get you, even if you're familiar with the
original film. There are some logic gaps towards the end, but by then you're hooked and
willing to forgive.
Douglas is millionaire wheeler-dealer Steven Taylor, whose portfolios are collapsing,
threatening to end his lifestyle of the rich and famous. When he asks his financial
advisers to give it to him straight, they tell him, "Think Chernobyl."
The Manhattan home he shares with his beautiful young wife, Emily (Paltrow), is straight
from Architectural Digest, with name-brand art and closets large enough for a small family
to inhabit. A guy can get used to that sort of thing.
But Emily is a several ducats short of fulfillment, and finding the passion missing from
her chilly marriage in an affair with grungy downtown artist David Shaw (Viggo Mortensen).
She is wealthy in her own right, with a substantial trust fund. This leads to whimsical
gifts like an espresso machine, with him fondling her while she steams up a perfect foam.
Taylor is on to them, and begins plotting Emily's murder in order to inherit her money
(the ninny didn't sign a pre-nup) and save his sinking assets. The killer will be her own
lover, on whom Taylor has some major dirt.
The genius of Frederick Knott's original play, upon which Hitchcock based his 1954 movie,
is that nothing goes right. All the players are forced to keep adapting to changing
circumstances, and the audience has to keep up.
The Taylors' orderly, almost sterile existence deteriorates into sheer chaos and a
fast-paced game of cat and mouse. David Suchet, who plays Inspector Poirot on the PBS
series, adds wonderful counterpoint as a shrewd NYPD captain.
Douglas essentially reprises his role from "The Game," as a cold-hearted but
quick-witted millionaire. He's good at it too, with his hair perfectly gelled and his
immaculate suits and ties. The man has a knack for picking winning projects.
While no one can replace Kelly, Paltrow runs a close second with her graceful mannerisms
and long neck, upon which the camera lingers in several shots. From "Emma" to
"Hard Eight" and "Sliding Doors," she is proving herself a versatile
and talented actress.
The characters act intelligently and consistently for the most part, although Emily seemed
to be a tad too trusting of her ruthless husband. Steven too gets suckered fairly easily
at one crucial point, although he pulls himself out of it. "A Perfect Murder"
isn't Hitchcock, but it is a very entertaining game of psychological chess.
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