# Perfect Murder, A (1998)

### reviewed by
Homer Yen

    An Unrealized "Perfect Murder"

Whenever Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas), looks upon his wife, Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow), there is an unmistakable aura of dislike hanging in the air. "That's not happiness to see me," they bitterly say to one another. It is a marriage that has degenerated into something hateful, something wickedly cold. Stephen, a detached SOB who is a power player in the world of high finance, is currently facing a crisis. His company is under investigation for illegal transactions that not only threaten him with legal action but also with impending bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Emily looks upon her union with Steven with equal disdain. Wanting love, she turns to an up and coming artist named David (Viggo Mortensen) and has an affair with him, an affair that Steven eventually discovers.

Steven is an opportunist and is extremely clever. He learns that David has some dark secrets and a hidden agenda. Using this information, he propositions David with an offer to kill his wife. With Emily dead, David's secrets will remain safe and he will make off with a tidy sum as compensation. Meanwhile, Steven would inherit an absurd amount of money which would allay his financial woes. But when the plan falls through, it becomes a psychological cat and mouse game as everybody begins to question one another while at the same time they take steps to conceal their true intentions. A determined detective also arrives on the scene to make matters even more tricky for everyone involved. Soon, the movie transforms into a sort of "who's playing who" kind of movie.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of story that reveals itself too early in the film. For the remaining 60 minutes, we see Douglas dodge in and out of excuses, Mortensen looking for a way to get more money out of the deal and Paltrow trying to figure out what's going on. Two things, however, really distracted me. One was the fact that this movie never gave us any surprises. It seemed that some kind of revelation would have pushed this movie up a notch, but this movie which is about secrets didn't really have any for the audience. I also objected to the ending, which was a letdown considering how the story was developed on a psychological level. It could have ended on a eerie note where the unhappy couple is left pondering about their lives as they look dryly into one another's eyes. But, it gives us a Hollywood-style ending complete with flying vases, knockdowns and gunshots. As stylish as the film looked, I think that we deserved better.

Yet, I can't discount the terrific performances that sustained the dark mood of the movie. Douglas is at the top of his form as the cold-hearted, master-of-the-universe husband and Paltrow is likable as a woman in search of love and truth. Mortensen shows that his character is equally adept at playing the blackmail game, and the best piece of casting is the detective (David Suchet) that investigates the case. I have my reservations about "A Perfect Murder," but it's a good-looking thriller nonetheless that offers a lot of promise, even though it ultimately can't quite deliver. Though far from perfect, a marginal recommendation would not constitute a crime.

    Grade: B-

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