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A Perfect Murder on DVD (1998)

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Average rating: 64%
1114420111012
3.0
from 734 members
 
Starring: Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Viggo Mortensen, David Suchet, Sarita Choudhury
Director: Andrew Davis
Studio: WARNER HOME VIDEO
Run time: 103 mins
Certificate: 15
Genres: Thriller
Languages: English
Hearing-impaired: English
Released: 19/04/1999

Brief synopsis of A Perfect Murder

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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Critics Reviews

Rating of 2 stars out of 5 Radio Times

Dial M for Murder was not one of Hitchcock's best movies, but this remake isn't even in the same league, despite the appeal of its two stars, Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow. Douglas takes the Ray Milland role here, plotting the demise of his beautiful, wealthy wife, Paltrow (played by Grace Kelly in the original), by getting her lover, Viggo Mortensen, to murder her for a $500,000 fee. So far so good, but things quickly come unglued. So, too, does Andrew Davis's direction, which sometimes fails to maintain the tension of the first hour, while the script seems more interested in making obvious points about life and art in the late 1990s.

Time Out

Douglas is perfectly cast as a predatory 'control freak' in this classy, intelligent remake of Hitchcock's dramatically... Read more on www.timeout.com

Halliwell's Film Guide

Slick, glossy thriller that fails to involve an audience on an emotional level.

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Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

Rated - 3 starsExciting all the way to the end

A customer from Glasgow, Scotland , 15/02/2005

I rented this film to see Viggo Mortensen and was rather surprised how much I enjoyed it. Michael Douglas does his usual creepy slimeball turn to great effect and Gynneth Paltrow plays well off him. Someone said David Suchet is under-used and I agree. More should have been done with his small part. As it is I was left wondering why an actor of his calibre was chosen for a few scenes. The alternative ending in the extras was disappointing. I expected something more radically different. Well worth a viewing.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 3 starsExciting all the way to the end

A customer from Glasgow, Scotland , 15/02/2005

I rented this film to see Viggo Mortensen and was rather surprised how much I enjoyed it. Michael Douglas does his usual creepy slimeball turn to great effect and Gwynneth Paltrow plays well off him. Someone said David Suchet is under-used and I agree. More should have been done with his small part. As it is I was left wondering why an actor of his calibre was chosen for a few scenes. The alternative ending in the extras was disappointing. I expected something more radically different. Well worth a viewing.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 3 stars

Toby#12 from BALDOCK , 14/10/2004

Starts off as four stars. Douglas is his usual brilliant, controlled actor. The story grabs you and surprises you. It only gets three stars, because I didn't think it stayed on that level. It slowed down a bit and wasn't the jaw dropping finale I hoped for. Still worth a look though.

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Rated - 4 starsViggo Mortensen Makes this movie

A customer from Salisbury, England , 11/03/2005

I'm unashamed to admit that I only rented this movie because I'm working my way through Viggo Mortensen's films. He gives a remarkable, subtle performance in this movie, managing to make his character very ambiguous, despite the blatant things he does.

Look out for the artwork - it's Mortensen's own.

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
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Most Recent Reviews

Rated - 3 starsNot bad

A customer from Shipley , 29/11/2007

Inevitably you have to compare this film to Hitchcock's original. The tension in this re-hashed version just doesn't even compare. Douglas is his usual charismatic on screen self and Mortensen plays his role well enough though Paltrow is a lacklustre as ever. Not a bad film but sadly dramatic tense music just isn't a substitute for actual tension that Hitchcock is such a master of.

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Rated - 3 stars

Toby#12 from BALDOCK , 14/10/2004

Starts off as four stars. Douglas is his usual brilliant, controlled actor. The story grabs you and surprises you. It only gets three stars, because I didn't think it stayed on that level. It slowed down a bit and wasn't the jaw dropping finale I hoped for. Still worth a look though.

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
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