A Perfect Murder (1998) - Movie Review

Over the years, Michael Douglas has done everything from portraying the President to be being a fearsome lion hunter, but he excels most as uptight and rich businessmen. Douglas seems to be born for those roles, as seen in The Game, and presently A Perfect Murder. Perhaps it's his raspy voice, or his face, or his prominent stature, but whatever it is, he glides through his roles like a lubricant on ice.

A Perfect Murder is not for those who want action, or mystery, but for ones who like a movie with lots of twists and turns. The character who has the authority is always changing, starting with Taylor, then Shaw, and then Emily. The movie bounces around from character to character, in a good way, as does the story. Whenever you think the conclusion is about to occur, one more twist takes place, and another sequence of conspiracy and deceit sets in.

Douglas definitely has a strong role but Gwyneth Paltrow shines as well. Smart, beautiful, and sexy, she is by far the most likable character, even if she too has something to hide. While she is somewhat stuck in between the rivalry of Douglas and Mortensen, Paltrow gets her time in the spotlight and is ultimately the deciding factor in who will live and who won't. Mortensen did a fairly good job, those his character was hard to follow at times. His convictions, which happened in the past, are only said aloud, not shown to express what kind of person he really is. Sometimes, he's helplessly in love with Paltrow, other times he's pushing for money, and once in a while he's a killer. Mortensen's character could have been drawn out better, and he definitely doesn't compete with Paltrow or Douglas.

A Perfect Murder is a sexy and provocative thriller but it may be a little too slow for some audiences.

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