Rating: 
Summary: Just 4 Stars But Good Acting By Gwyneth Paltrow
Review: This is a good movie and well worth the watch. Michael Douglas plays a familiar role similar to his early 1987 Wall Street Gordon Geiko role but now much more sinister, and Gwyneth Paltrow plays his younger and slightly gullible trophy wife who is searching for happiness.
The movie tells how she is taken in by an artist, and how her husband Douglas reacts. His acting is good, but not up to the level of some of his earlier roles, which would be hard for him to match in every movie. Gwyneth is likeable and adds some zing.
I watched the movie because of Douglas, but as the movie progresses the center of attention seems to shift from Michael towards Gwyneth, a more recent Oscar winner, because of her believable acting and her sympathetic role. So even with the less than a great new role for Douglas, the movie is entertaining. It is definitely worth a watch, especially for Douglas fans, which includes myself plus I am now a budding Paltrow fan.
This is a minimalist movie, and although the credits (see the Amazon movie info above) lists many actors, there are really only four characters of note in the play, i.e.: the two stars both Oscar winners along with the artist and a police detective. It is the type of movie that lends itself to being just a short play since most of the action takes place in just two apartments. The movie is set in New York city, and the director manages to work in a few local attractions such as Penn Station, the Staten Island Ferry, some skyline, and some museums. But the New York scenes are just a bonus, like icing on a cake, and the movie really hangs on the stars and their interactions. It is a good drama with some surprising turns.
Highly recommend but just 4 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: "That's not happiness to see me"
Review: This 90s parallel to "Dial M for Murder" is a beautifully crafted thriller that holds a viewer's attention from the opening credits and doesn't let go. Opulence is the byword here as Steven and Emily Bradford Taylor seem to have everything going for them, such as a posh, luxurious apartment on Manhattan's west side, well-tailored and expensive clothes for both of them, unlimited access to lots of money, glamorous careers, influential friends, and millions that Emily has inherited from her parents. But all is not as it seems on the surface and plans have been set in motion that would solve Steven's financial problems and gain him personal satisfaction for Emily's cheating ways. Michael Douglas is great as a suave, handsome and debonair man who finds himself in over his head as his elaborate scheme begins to unravel. Gwyneth Paltrow is solid as a United Nations translator and unhappy wife who only wants to be with her lover, and Viggo Mortensen is swell as a slick, deceitful artist who just happens to have a way with rich, lonely women and bereaved widows. The music soundtrack is a great accompaniment to this film that also offers breathtaking views of Manhattan.
Rating:
Summary: A Perfect Murder
Review: A Perfect Murder is a re-make of the Hitchcock film, "Dial M for Murder." Steven Taylor, played by Michael Douglas, pays David, an artist played by Viggo Montenson, to kill his wife Emily, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Emily and David are having a affair. The plan seems perfect, but is it? The murder is thwarted and the rules change. There is much suspense, and the plot contains several twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Douglas, Paltrow, and Mortenson do excellent jobs with their roles. The DVD contains commentary by the director and Michael Douglas. It also has an alternate ending that I don't think works as well as the one in the theatrical release. "A Perfect Murder" is a very good movie.
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: 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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