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Updated m_12/d_26/y_2009
 
Movie Review of The Month: A Perfect Murder 1998

I've got a great idea!
I could take a classic Alfred Hitchcock movie, remake it, modernize it and make it even better.  I think I'll start with Psycho. Let me see…this time I'll make it in color. I could shoot it frame for frame and word for word identically to the original.  It couldn't possibly go wrong.  What?  It's been done? And it was worse? I wonder if anyone has remade "Gone With The Wind"?

It is completely beyond my comprehension as to why someone would remake a classic movie.  It's done all the time.  Steve Martin somehow thought he could play the Inspector Jacques Clouseau character better than Peter Sellers…twice. We all know how well that went.

It's less than rare that a remake comes close to the standards of the original.  Did you ever get that deja vu feeling while watching a movie? That "Hey wait a minute. I've seen this before" starts filtering through the old gray matter. 

A Perfect Murder was based on Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film, Dial M for Murder. It starred Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and Robert Cummings.  Although A Perfect Murder wasn't a bad movie, wouldn't you assume Warner Brothers knew it would always be compared to the original (Dial M for Murder)?

There were things to like. I liked the cast.  Michael Douglas' character, Steven Taylor, probably wasn't much of a stretch. He's done that character before.  Gwyneth Paltrow (Emily Bradford Taylor) is an extremely good and convincing actress who always gives a top-notch performance.  She not bad on the eyes either.

The cast took this rehashed script and probably made it a little better than it was.  Another area that I did like was the look of the film.  I thought the sets were great.  They caught the personality of Douglas' character nicely.  His New York City apartment had that cold, organized and filthy rich look, kind of the opposite of my place. I also liked how the camera work intertwined with the music.  They captured the tension nicely.

So what went wrong?  It's a remake!
There were too many moments where the script dragged. It was also obvious that the last portion of the movie lacked fresh ideas.  There was the quintessential last-minute scrap between the two main characters. That's been done over and over in countless film which made for an anticlimactic conclusion.  I happen to like Viggo Mortensen (David Shaw), in spite of being kind of a one note actor. How's that for a back handed complement?

The ending was about as satisfying as a rice cake to a starving person. As a matter of fact, there were two endings. The one that made it to the final version apparently passed the audience litmus test. If interested, you can see the alternate ending in the DVD Extra Features. Unfortunately, I've seen alternate endings that were better than the theatrically released ending. How sucky is that? I have to assume the directors who engage in that practice must have commitment issues. The theatrical released ending for A Perfect Murder was not that good. The alternate ending was even worse. Perhaps the director, Gus Van Sant, should make about five or six alternate endings for the test audiences. That would increase his odds for a better conclusion. Then again, maybe not.

I don't want to give the idea that this was a bad movie. Mediocre is more appropriate. Look, there is no way to do a remake without it being compared to the original. This was a good rental. However, you'll probably want to grab Dial "M" for Murder instead.

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7th Visual Effects Society Awards - VES 2008 Awards
6th Visual Effects Society Awards - VES 2007 Awards
5th Visual Effects Society Awards - VES 2006 Awards
Top 10 List For 2000 through 2008

Roger
Ebert

Richard
Roeper

A. O.
Scott


Michael
Phillips

2009 Michael Phillips' and A. O. Scott's Top Ten
  Michael Phillips' Top 10 Picks   A. O. Scott's Top 10 Picks
10) Me And Orsen Wells 10) Goodbye Solo
9) In The Loop 9) Avatar
8) Sugar 8) Funny People
7) A Single Man 7) Precious
6) Adventureland 6) Gomorrah
5) A Serious Man 5) Bright Star
4) The Hurt Locker 4) Up In The Air
3) Of Time and The City 3) Summer Hours
2) Where The Wild Things Are 2) The Hurt Locker
1) Up 1) Where The Wild Things Are
2008 Richard Roeper and Michael Phillips' Top Ten
  Richard Roeper's Top 10 Picks   Michael Phillips' Top 10 Picks
10) Frozen River 10) The Dark Knight
9) Forgetting Sarah Marshall 9) Still Life
8) The Visitor 8) Snow Angels
7) Milk 7) Man on Wire
6) Gran Torino 6) Alexandra
5) I've Loved You So Long 5) The Flight of the Red Balloon
4) In Bruges 4) Let The Right One In
3) The Wrestler 3) A Christmas Tale
2) The Dark Knight 2) The Class
1) Slumdog Millionaire 1) WALL-E
2007 Ebert & Roeper's Top Ten
 
  Richard Roeper's Top 10 Picks   A. O. Scott's Top 10 Picks
10) Paris Je T'Aime 10) Knocked Up
9) Once 9) The Savages
8) Superdad 8) Into The Wild
7) Zodiac 7) There Will Be Blood
6) Gone Baby Gone 6) 12:08 East Of Bucharest
5) American Gangster 5) Terror's Advocate
4) Juno 4) I'm Not There
3) The Lookout 3) Sweeny Todd
2) No Country For Old Men 2) Ratatouille
1) Michael Clayton 1) 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days
2006 Ebert & Roeper's Top Ten
  Richard Roeper's Top 10 Picks   A. O. Scott's Top 10 Picks
10) Blood Diamond 10) A Prairie Home Companion
9) Little Miss Sunshine 9) Little Children
8) The Good Shepard 8) Volver
7) Notes On A Scandal 7) 51 Birch Street
6) Babel 6) Three Times
5) The Lives Of Others 5) Little Miss Sunshine
4) United 93 4) Days Of Glory
3) Flags Of Our Fathers (tie for 3rd) 3) L’Enfant
3) Letters From Iwo Jima (tie for 3rd) 2) Pan’s Labyrinth
2) The Queen 1) Letters From Iwo Jima
1) The Departed    
2005 Ebert & Roeper's Top Ten
  Roger Ebert's Top 10 Picks   Richard Roeper's Top 10 Picks
10) Millions 10) Walk The Line
9) Yes 9) A History Of Violence
8) King Kong 8) The 40-Year-Old Virgin
7) Nine Lives 7) Brokeback Mountain
6) Me and You and Everyone We Know 6) Capote
5) Brokeback Mountain 5) Nine Lives
4) Junebug 4) Munich
3) Munich 3) Crash
3) Syriana 2) The New World
1) Crash 1) Syriana
2004 Ebert & Roeper's Top Ten
  Roger Ebert's Top 10 Picks   Richard Roeper's Top 10 Picks
10) Undertow 10) Collateral
9) Hotel Rwanda 9) Spanglish
8) Sideways 8) Kill Bill Vol. 2
7) Baadasssss! 7) The Terminal
6) The Aviator 6) Million Dollar Baby
5) Moolaade 5) House of Flying Daggers
4) Spiderman 2 4) Sideways
3) Vera Drake 3) The Aviator
2) Kill Bill Vol. 2 2) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
1) Million Dollar Baby 1) Hotel Rwanda
       
  Roger Ebert's Worst 10   Richard Roeper's Worst 10
10) The Village 10) Connie and Carla
9) The Whole Ten Yards 9) Taxi
8) Resident Evil: Apocalypse 8) Saw
7) White Chicks 7) Thunderbirds
6) The Grudge 6) Catwoman
5) New York Minute 5) The Stepford Wives
4) Dogville 4) Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
3) The Girl Next Door 3) Godsend
2) Christmas With the Kranks 2) The Whole Ten Yards
1) Alexander (tie) 1) White Chicks
1) Troy (tie)    
2003 Ebert & Roeper's Top Ten
  Roger Ebert's Top 10 Picks   Richard Roeper's Top 10 Picks
10) In America (USA) 10) Sea Biscuit (UK)
9) Whale Rider (New Zeland) 9) Monster (USA)
8) The Son (French - Le Fils) 8) Whale Rider (USA)
7) Owning Mahowny (USA) 7) The Station Agent (USA)
6) Mystic River (USA) 6) The Barbarian Invasions (French - Les Invasions Barbares)
5) Master and Commander the Far Side of the World (USA) 5) Elephant (USA)
4) Finding Nemo (USA) 4) 21 Grams (USA)
3) American Splendor (USA) 3) Lost in Translation (USA)
2) Lost in Translation (USA) 2) Mystic River (USA)
1) Monster (USA) 1) In America (USA)
2002 Ebert & Roeper's Top Ten
  Roger Ebert's Top 10 Picks   Richard Roeper's Top 10 Picks
10) The Quiet American (USA) 10) About a Boy (UK)
9) All or Nothing (UK) 9) One Hour Photo (USA)
8) Spirited Away (Japan - Animation) 8) About Schmidt (USA)
7) Invincible (German / USA) 7) Rabbit-Proof Fence (Australia)
6) Y tu mamá también (Mexico) 6) Signs (USA)
5) 13 Conversations About One Thing (USA) 5) Adaptation (USA)
4) Far From Heaven (USA) 4) Y tu mamá también (Mexico)
3) Adaptation (USA) 3) Minority Report (USA)
2) City of God [Cidade de Deus] (Brazil) 2) 25th Hour (USA)
1) Minority Report (USA) 1) Gangs of New York (USA)
2001 Ebert & Roeper's Top Ten
  Roger Ebert's Top 10 Picks   Richard Roeper's Top 10 Picks
10) Gosford Park 10) Shallow Hal
9) A Beautiful Mind 9) The Deep End
8) Wit (HBO) 8) Happy Accidents
7) Innocence 7) Dinner Rush
6) Waking Life 6) Amores Perros
5) Mulholland Drive 5) In the Bedroom
4) Ghost World 4) A Beautiful Mind
3) In the Bedroom 3) Mulholland Drive
2) Black Hawk Down 2) Vanella Sky
1) Monster’s Ball 1) Memento
2000 Ebert & Roeper's Top Ten
  Roger Ebert's Top 10 Picks   Richard Roeper's Top 10 Picks
10) Requiem for a Dream 10) Almost Famous
9) Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 9) Cast Away
8) Pollock 8) Sunshine
7) High Fidelity 7) You Can Count on Me
6) The Cell 6) Finding Forrester
5) George Washington 5) Wonder Boys
4) Traffic 4) The Contender
3) You Can Count On Me 3) The Claim
2) Wonder Boys 2) Traffic
1) Almost Famous 1) Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
 
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