Rating: 
Summary: Hateful as a remake, uninteresting as a modern thriller.
Review: Of course, every cinema lover must compare this film with "Dial M for Murder", by Hitckcock. Both are based in a play by Frederick Knott. I don't mind what Hitchcock said -he seemed not particularly happy with that movie of his-: "Dial M for Murder" was excellent as a suspense thriller and a model for theater on the big screen. A very clever plot. Grace Kelly was the victim of her husband, Ray Milland.But what was really peculiar was precisely the character of Milland, who didn't show any single moment anything but a devilish cold and designing mind. He was a smiling practitioner of murder understood as a fine art, as an intellectual challenge. Instead Douglas in this film is a silly jealous killer with his habitual sour face. We see him even kill with a knife. A bore. And if we forget the hitchcockian referece? Well, then, an undistinguised film, not very exiting on any account.
Rating: 
Summary: No comparisons are needed
Review: As you may know, this film is loosely based upon DIAL M FOR MURDER, first a stage play then a movie by Alfred Hitchcook in 1954. A lot of people want to compare the two films. Even though Hitchcock was "the Master of Suspense", in my opinion, no comparisions are needed. I see both movies very differently. While both films may share certain plot points that is where the similarities end. DIAL M was patterned after the play and was very good in that context. A PERFECT MURDER succeeds because it doesn't even try to out do the '54 film. Michael Douglas as a Wall Street tycoon, plays well off of the other main characters to help make an interesting triangle. Gwyneth Paltrow turns in a great performance as the wife of Douglas. She plays a complicated part and pulls it off. She plays it both tough and vulnerable at the same time. Rounding out the trio is Viggo Mortensen as Paltrow's lover. When Douglas finds out his wife is having an affair, he hires her lover, to kill her in order to gain access to her money quickly. The husband needs the cash to cover up some bad business deals. None of the three main characters are just a victim here. All of them have a dark side and each one ends up looking out for themself at some point during the film. Directed by Andy Davis, (THE FUGITIVE)
the movie is in more than capable hands. It has fine performances and has a good script by Patrick Smith Kelly The special edition DVD has 2 so-so commentary tracks and behind the scenes info. The best feature is the alternate ending. Its always fun to compare and contrast. I don't know which one I like better. I don't think you will be disappointed either way. This is a good movie and DVD for your collection
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Murder Mystery
Review: To make a long story short, if you only ever own one Michael Douglas movie on dvd, it should be this one! Great story, great movie!
Rating: 
Summary: Gekko grown older? Maybe!
Review: For the record, "A Perfect Murder" is a remake of "Dial M for Murder," Alfred Hitchcock's maliciously clever but hopelessly stagebound adaptation of the popular play by Frederick Knott. But it is great deal more fun to view the new movie as a sequel to "Wall Street," with Michael Douglas once again in top form as a ruthlessly manipulative financial whiz. Imagine Gordon Gekko just a few years past his prime as a high-flying corporate raider, with a trophy wife who's just beginning to tarnish, and you'll get the idea. The big difference is, this time, instead of extolling the virtues of greed, Douglas' character is willing to consider the benefits of an even deadlier sin. In "A Perfect Murder," which Andrew Davis ("The Fugitive") has directed from a screenplay by Patrick Smith Kelly, Douglas is Steven Taylor, a Manhattan-based millionaire industrialist who has over-extended himself while playing the international money markets. Worse, he knows that his most prized possession -- Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow), his radiantly beautiful and conspicuously younger wife -- is drifting out of his jealously tight grip. Right from the start, the audience knows that Emily is having an affair with David (Viggo Mortensen), a broodingly hunky artist who invites her to his fashionably seedy downtown loft for afternoon delights. Trouble is, Steven also knows about the affair. This, too, is made clear very early in the story, as Steven and Emily share a drink in their luxurious apartment before attending a gallery opening. Despite all their polite chit-chat, there is an edge of menace in the air. When Steven abruptly suggests that she wear another dress to the occasion, his words have the unmistakable sound of a command. Not surprisingly, Emily does as she's told. At the gallery opening, Steven is effortlessly gracious as his wife introduces him to David, whom she identifies as a casual acquaintance. Of course, he's much more than that -- much more, in fact, than even Emily realizes. After inviting himself to David's loft, Steven reverts to his natural state. He knows that David is an ex-convict who taught himself to paint in prison -- and, more important, has mastered the art of seducing, then robbing, rich women. Sounding very much like a hard-bargaining businessman, Steven wastes little time in making his pitch: He offers David $500,000 to kill Emily. For a few minutes, David rejects the offer. But the money -- coupled with the threat of exposure -- is too tempting to resist. It would be difficult to say more about what happens next without running the risk of spilling some beans. Even if you've already seen Hitchcock's 1954 original, or one of the many revivals of Knott's play, you are in for a few surprises. Davis and Kelly treat "Dial M for Murder" more as a source of inspiration than a classic worthy of replication. They take the play's basic set-up -- the husband concocts a tricky murder scheme that hinges on the placement of a latchkey and the ringing of a telephone -- but go off in a different, far more intriguing direction. Perhaps the most striking difference between Hitchcock's film and Davis' update is the casually amoral cynicism that informs "A Perfect Murder." In the 1954 thriller, the wife's lover was a boyishly buoyant mystery writer, affably played by Robert Cummings, while the wife -- played by Hitchcock's favorite leading lady, Grace Kelly -- was a relatively innocent adulteress who generated sympathy while paying for her sins. Even the cuckolded husband, played by Ray Milland, came across as genial rogue who was motivated by love as much as money. Welcome to the 1990s: In "A Perfect Murder," the lover is a con man with a gift for blackmail, the husband has lust in his heart for his wife's trust fund, and even the wife is a strong believer in enlightened self-interest. You won't feel excessive sympathy for any of these characters as they hatch their plots and counter-plots. In fact, you may think one of them gets off far too easily in the end. But with the lead roles cast so effectively, and the plot twisting so cleverly, you likely will wind up feeling that, unlike Steven, you've gotten your money's worth.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect "deceivers"
Review: People say this movie is almost a carbon-copy of Hitchcock's
Dial M for Murder.
I haven't seen that one but I have seen The Perfect murder and it's a great movie, a very interesting one full of surprises. The
plot of this movie is about three dishonest people.
A cheating wife,A killer husband,and an idiot artist(the lover of a cheating wife).
Emily is the daughter of a rich man and the wife of bankrupting husband. Emily gets involved romantically with a rather dangerous man David - whose past is in the favor of Steven (M.Douglas). As Steven's succesful life is turning into an unsuccesful one he pays a visit to his wife's lover and makes him a deal 'he can't' refuse because if he does his past will be revealed to Emily.
The deal is : Killing his wife and David agrees...then...you'll have to watch the movie yourself as "I've forgotten what happens next" :) This movie's DVD I own is a two-sided one. A- side is normal while B-side is a widescreened version. It has a lot of extra
features that are a must see. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Gekko grown older? Maybe!
Review: For the record, "A Perfect Murder" is a remake of "Dial M for Murder," Alfred Hitchcock's maliciously clever but hopelessly stagebound adaptation of the popular play by Frederick Knott. But it is great deal more fun to view the new movie as a sequel to "Wall Street," with Michael Douglas once again in top form as a ruthlessly manipulative financial whiz. Imagine Gordon Gekko just a few years past his prime as a high-flying corporate raider, with a trophy wife who's just beginning to tarnish, and you'll get the idea. The big difference is, this time, instead of extolling the virtues of greed, Douglas' character is willing to consider the benefits of an even deadlier sin. In "A Perfect Murder," which Andrew Davis ("The Fugitive") has directed from a screenplay by Patrick Smith Kelly, Douglas is Steven Taylor, a Manhattan-based millionaire industrialist who has over-extended himself while playing the international money markets. Worse, he knows that his most prized possession -- Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow), his radiantly beautiful and conspicuously younger wife -- is drifting out of his jealously tight grip. Right from the start, the audience knows that Emily is having an affair with David (Viggo Mortensen), a broodingly hunky artist who invites her to his fashionably seedy downtown loft for afternoon delights. Trouble is, Steven also knows about the affair. This, too, is made clear very early in the story, as Steven and Emily share a drink in their luxurious apartment before attending a gallery opening. Despite all their polite chit-chat, there is an edge of menace in the air. When Steven abruptly suggests that she wear another dress to the occasion, his words have the unmistakable sound of a command. Not surprisingly, Emily does as she's told. At the gallery opening, Steven is effortlessly gracious as his wife introduces him to David, whom she identifies as a casual acquaintance. Of course, he's much more than that -- much more, in fact, than even Emily realizes. After inviting himself to David's loft, Steven reverts to his natural state. He knows that David is an ex-convict who taught himself to paint in prison -- and, more important, has mastered the art of seducing, then robbing, rich women. Sounding very much like a hard-bargaining businessman, Steven wastes little time in making his pitch: He offers David $500,000 to kill Emily. For a few minutes, David rejects the offer. But the money -- coupled with the threat of exposure -- is too tempting to resist. It would be difficult to say more about what happens next without running the risk of spilling some beans. Even if you've already seen Hitchcock's 1954 original, or one of the many revivals of Knott's play, you are in for a few surprises. Davis and Kelly treat "Dial M for Murder" more as a source of inspiration than a classic worthy of replication. They take the play's basic set-up -- the husband concocts a tricky murder scheme that hinges on the placement of a latchkey and the ringing of a telephone -- but go off in a different, far more intriguing direction. Perhaps the most striking difference between Hitchcock's film and Davis' update is the casually amoral cynicism that informs "A Perfect Murder." In the 1954 thriller, the wife's lover was a boyishly buoyant mystery writer, affably played by Robert Cummings, while the wife -- played by Hitchcock's favorite leading lady, Grace Kelly -- was a relatively innocent adulteress who generated sympathy while paying for her sins. Even the cuckolded husband, played by Ray Milland, came across as genial rogue who was motivated by love as much as money. Welcome to the 1990s: In "A Perfect Murder," the lover is a con man with a gift for blackmail, the husband has lust in his heart for his wife's trust fund, and even the wife is a strong believer in enlightened self-interest. You won't feel excessive sympathy for any of these characters as they hatch their plots and counter-plots. In fact, you may think one of them gets off far too easily in the end. But with the lead roles cast so effectively, and the plot twisting so cleverly, you likely will wind up feeling that, unlike Steven, you've gotten your money's worth.
Rating:
Summary: Boasts a first-rate cast and not much else
Review: "A Perfect Murder", inspired by the great Alfred Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder", boasts a first-rate cast and not much else. Directed by Andrew Davis ("The Fugitive", "Collateral Damage", "Holes"), based on the "Dial M for Murder" script by Frederick Knott, written by Patrick Smith Kelly ("Don't Say a Word"), and starring Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Viggo Mortensen, one just has to wonder how such talented people could churn out such a mess of a film. I had no empathy for any of the characters in this film. I felt very detached from all the characters in this film and thus didn't really care what happened to any of them. This eventually leads to boredom, as it did in my case. Boredom: another thing that plagues this film. In a desperate attempt to make things more interesting, the writer throws in a bunch of twists and turns that failed to shock or interest me in the least. Frankly, this film got downright tedious. During some of the more "suspenseful" sequences, I often found myself checking my watch. No good. The sole redeeming factor of this film is the trio of A-list actors we get to watch. Michael Douglas is pitch-perfect as a scheming, greedy businessman. The eternally elegant and ethereal Gwyneth Paltrow is mesmerizing to watch and brings a little bit of light into this otherwise dark film. And then we have VIGGO (Mortensen, that is). Incase you've been living under a rock for the past few years; we all know and love Mortensen as Aragorn in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Though Viggo had been in many films prior, this is probably the biggest role he'd ever had in a mainstream film at the time. It's fascinating to watch the man who, in probably only a few months, would be on his way to New Zealand for the role of his career.
Rating:
Summary: Great Show!!!
Review: I am so anti gwenyth its not even funny, anyway she works in this film. The trophy wife. The trophy wife cheats, the wealthy husband finds out and plans to have her killed by her boyfriend. Very good flick filled with twists and turns.
Rating:
Summary: inventive
Review: this is an interesting and inventive murder mystery and it;s got a great cast.
Rating:
Summary: Dark and Brooding, This Film Stands Well on its Own
Review: Having never seen the Alfred Hitchcock classic DIAL M FOR MURDER, I have absolutely nothing with which to compare this film, except the slick mystery/suspense thrillers of the 1980's and '90's. In this category, A PERFECT MURDER (1998) ranks among the better ones. With Michael Douglas at his sordid best, Gwyneth Paltrow in the middle of her breakout year (doing films such as GREAT EXPECTATIONS--another re-make, SLIDING DOORS, HUSH and finally, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, which resulted in a well-deserved Oscar statue for her) and still-rising Viggo Mortensen, the screenplay by Patrick Smith Kelly fits each of these actors' personas so neatly that you would swear the words were written with these actors fully in mind. Add in the lush photograghy, which successfully captures the deep, brooding tone of the film and you've got a real winner here. Indoor shots in the townhouse where Douglas and Paltrow's characters live reveal tall ceilings and lots of sharp, sinister brown and orange colors. Shots in Mortensen's artist's loft display soft blue-gray hues and wide spaces filled with work (as opposed to the townhouse which is filled solely with material "things"). The dialogue fits each character and remains true. Even with all the twists and turns in the plot (expected in films like this, anyway), the story remains interesting and does not feel contrived. It's amazing that Warner Bros. waited a full 5 years after this film's initial release to put it out on DVD. I think the wait was well worth it--both the sound and picture quality on this disc are excellent. If you have noticed that I have only commented on the technical merits of A PERFECT MURDER and not the story, this is intentional, as the story itself is neatly summed up in one sentence--Douglas is a rich financial wiz who's married to an unhappy Paltrow who is happily cheating on him with Mortensen, uses his street smarts to figure out what's going on and then blackmails Mortensen to off wifey for him. The point in this film is not the story itself; rather, it is about style and the way in which it is presented. A PERFECT MURDER scores big on all counts. Michael Douglas is the main soldifying force in this film--it is impossible to think of an actor better suited for the erotic thriller sub-genre than he is; after all, he starred in the film that defined the erotic thriller, FATAL ATTRACTION. Add A PERFECT MURDER to the list. Andrew Davis, you directed a very competent film with this outing. Viggo Mortensen, with your determination, hard work and those now-famous cheekbones, you've finally left your Leatherface days behind for good. Gwyneth Paltrow, we can't stop watching you. Michael Douglas, well, we love to hate ya! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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