DVD

Average customer rating:

Swiss Chese Galore!
MONEY TALKS...
A Perfect Murder- A Good remake of Dial M For Murder
I don't think so....
Micheal Douglas was great .

Perfect Murder (1998)

Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | VHS | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | VHS | Video

Deals Under $8 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

Disclosure
Don't Say a Word
The Game
Heist
A Man Apart

ASIN: B00000DHGQ
Release Date: 1998-10-06

Customer Reviews:

Swiss Chese Galore!.......2007-02-17

While this movie has some compelling acting and directing, the screenplay is pure Swiss cheese--riddled with plot holes, unbelievables, conveniences and contrivances to make this plot-driven story work. Because it moves so fast and furiously, you barely have a moment to note the holes, however, when all is said and done, and you start asking questions about the characters' actions, the holes become blatently apparent.

Example: The Michael Douglas character tells the Viggio Mortenson character the plan (yes, orally)that the latter will follow to murder the former's wife. But Viggio is an ex-con with a big criminal record, an opportunist who will stop at nothing to to fulfill his own greedy agenda. So why wouldn't Douglas suspect that Viggio might secretly make a tape recording of that self-incriminating conversation? He would. Savvy Douglas would figure out a better way to get the info. to Viggio so that in the future it could never possibly implicate him in the planned murder nor set himself up for bigtime blackmail by Viggio.

MONEY TALKS..........2005-01-24

This glossy, stylish, and elegant remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film, "Dial M for Murder", forges its own identity, as it leaves behind the theatrical underpinnings of the original film. Screenwriter Patrick Smith Kelly offers up an intelligent, well-written script with some surprising twist and turns. Beautifully directed by Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, Under Siege, The Package), the film delicately weaves its ingenious plot.

Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas) is a driven, wall street tycoon whose wife, Emily Bradford Taylor (Gwyneth Paltrow) is an heiress, fabulously wealthy in her own right. They live in a lavishly appointed apartment in Manhattan. The only fly in their ointment, or so it seems, is that Emily is having a love affair with a down and out artist, David Shaw (Viggo Mortensen).

It seems, however, that there is a dark side to the relationship between Steven and Emily, as Emily is decidedly unhappy with it. Moreover, unbeknownst to Emily, her artist boyfriend is not all that he appears to be nor is her husband, Steven, who is not as rich as he purports to be. Apparently, a series of bad investments have left him with margin calls that are set to leave him on the brink of bankruptcy. What's a guy to do?

Well, if you are like Steven Taylor, a ruthless, self-absorbed creep, you look to get your wife's money, at all costs. He knows about his wife's lover and will seek to use him, making David an offer he can't refuse. This decision sets in motion a cat and mouse game that leaves the viewer wondering, just who is the cat and who is the mouse? Who will live and who will die?

This is a solid thriller that will keep the viewer riveted to the screen. Excellent performances are given by all. Michael Douglas is excellent as Steven Taylor, a cool and collected ruthless character who has sacrificed his very humanity to greed, power, and conspicuous consumption. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants. It is a role similar to that of Gordon Gekko, the character that Douglas played to critical acclaim in Oliver Stone's film, "Wall Street".

It is Gwyneth Paltrow's performance, however, that is the most notable. She infuses the role of Emily with a surprising strength and vulnerability, creating a sympathetic character. This is no easy task, considering that her character, a gloriously wealthy, gorgeous woman who is two-timing and deceiving her husband. Considering her husband, however, it is understandable. She does, however, seem to be looking for love in all the wrong places, as her lover has his own issues.

Viggo Mortensen gives an excellent performance as Emily's lover, David. It appears, however, that Emily may have picked a lover not all that different from her husband. Viggo Mortensen plays his part both hot and cold, as he is clearly conflicted by what Steven has asked him to do, despite the fact that it will give him what he originally set out to get. He manages, however, to turn the table on Steven, only to have Steven turn the table on him.

Sarita Choudhury gives a warm performance as Emily's friend, Raquel Martinez. David Suchet of Hercule Poirot fame effectively plays the part of the wily detective, Mohamed Karaman, who comes into the picture when Emily is almost murdered and is most sympathetic towards Emily.

All in all, this is a wonderful film that those who enjoy thrillers and murder mysteries will enjoy having in their personal collection. Bravo!

A Perfect Murder- A Good remake of Dial M For Murder.......1999-01-18

At first this movie had great scenery, good acting by Michael Douglas who pays his wife's lover( Viggo Monsteran) to kill his wife. There is good suspense, It kinda kept me going for a while, but the ending was quite shocking. Dial M For Murder was better.

I don't think so...........1998-12-29

Ok, so you have Gwenyth a rich, beautiful, young professional paired off with Michael Douglas?? What was the casting department thinking? This movie was made for every man's fantasy out there. In a a quick synopsis, married couple, rich wife strays, husband's broke, husband wants revenge, wife fights back, blah, blah, blah. Are there any more good movies out there?

Micheal Douglas was great ........1998-12-17

This was a great movie had me guessing all the way through it. I would watch it again.

Average customer rating:

money talks
Mistake to compare it to the Classic
twisted
A perfect thriller with unexpected twists
Much Better Than The Original....Except The Ending

Perfect Murder (1998) (Spanish)
Starring: Michael Douglas , Gwyneth Paltrow , Viggo Mortensen , Sarita Choudhury , and Michael P. Moran
Director: Andrew Davis
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Choudhury, Sarita | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Douglas, Michael | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lyman, Will | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Nelson, Novella | ( N ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Paltrow, Gwyneth | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Towers, Constance | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Davis, Andrew | ( D ) | Directors | VHS | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | VHS | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | VHS | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

Misterio y suspenso | Spanish Language | Formats | VHS | Video

Fatal Attraction (Special Collector's Edition)
Disclosure
The Game
Indecent Proposal
Basic Instinct

ASIN: 0790738406
Release Date: 2001-01-16

Amazon.com

The husband (Michael Douglas) is a currency trader whose portfolio value is going right down the drain. The wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) is the heiress to a $100 million fortune. The marriage is not a happy one, but the promise of long-term affluence keeps them together. The wife pursues an affair with an artist (Viggo Mortenson) who gives her all the passion she doesn't get at home, and when the husband finds out, well ... someone's going to pay with their life. Who will the unlucky one be? We wouldn't dare spoil the elegant plot twists of this devious thriller, but it's well known that Douglas excels at portraying greedy characters with ice in their veins. Here, it's easy to assume that Douglas has pulled off, as the title implies, a killing that nobody will ever pin on him. But this is the kind of glossy thriller (loosely inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder) that delights in disrupting your expectations, so it grabs your attention right up to the final scene. It's a bit too cold to really draw you in (hey, these are not very nice people we're dealing with here!), but with its able cast and stylish direction by Andrew Davis, this less-than-perfect murder thriller is still definitely worth a look. The widescreen Special Edition DVD includes audio commentary by Michael Douglas, Andrew Davis, and producer Peter McGregor Scott, an alternate ending deleted from the finished film, and sketches by the film's costume designer. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

money talks.......2007-01-27

This is a great movie - entertaining, full of twists and turns and is beautifully underplayed. Not excessive in its violence, but packed with intrigue and moments that had us scrunching the cushions and on the edge of our seats.

Michael Douglas is brilliantly cold and classy, Viggo Mortensen keeps you in a permanent quest to work out what he is thinking and what he will do next. Gwyneth Paltrow and David Suchet are superb in their respective roles of potential victim and suspicious police officer.

This is a great thriller, very loosely based on the classic "Dial M for Murder", and makes a great evening's viewing. If you like a good murder mystery, you will enjoy spending a couple of hours with this stylish and absorbing film.

Mistake to compare it to the Classic.......2007-01-02

The stock review on this movie told me that it was a loose remake of the Alfred Hitchcock Classic "Dial M For Murder." The promo also told me that it had a clever script and unexpected plot twists. So what do I spend my time doing as I watch the movie? Waiting to be caught off-guard by plot twists, and waiting to be impressed with a clever script. Well, I waited in vain. The better promo would have been; "This is an ok movie that stands on its own as a tense thiller." Had they said this, it would deserve ... um ... 4 stars.

This feeble remake presents nothing clever, nothing surprising and does not come close to the mastery of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece.
Sheesh, this movie might as well have put up a subtitle that said "the Grace Kelly wannabe will grasp the meat-thermometer to 'unexpectedly' kill her attacker."
As for us being "surprised" that the attacker was not the playboy guy, I knew it wasn't the moment the almost-masked guy slipped into the parking garage and the cameraman hid his face from us. duh!
As for the clever script, Michael Douglas basically tells his wife that he's going to kill her. Gee, is that tension? No, it's just annoying to watch and wonder just how stupid this blond wife is supposed to be.
As for the movie being clever? Not when they claim that it's a remake of a Hitchcock masterpiece. Also, the plotting husband gives an unconvincing reason as to why the playboy can't just go kill her in the bathroom. The viewer feels like shouting "it's because this is a remake of a film where the wife is on the phone when she is attacked!" I feel like also quoting the fictional-fictional Jack Slater (in Arnold's Last Action Hero) saying his expected and corny line of "big mistake."

A big reason why "Dial M For Murder" remains a masterpiece, is that Hitchcock limited himself to basically one set, with very few exceptions. Even his cameo was masterfully slipped into that expensive "flat" (in the picture on the wall). (He did the same self-challenge in Rear Window and Lifeboat.) The 1954 wonder-work (Dial M For Murder) has a tight script and mesmerizing camera work which endure to this high-tech day as one of the best of the best by the best, and not easily "remade" by this ok film.

twisted.......2006-12-10

Michael Douglas is so convincing as a cold, calculating criminal/big business man, who hatches a scheme to do away with his cheating wife. Since the other man in the picture is also quite deviant, the plot gets complicated and things don't work out as planned. The result is an intelligent thriller that will draw you into the intrigue and keep you guessing as to what will happen next. Definitely the kind of movie that can be enjoyed again and again. Absolutely not a good choice for younger viewers though.

A perfect thriller with unexpected twists.......2006-07-14

+++++

This movie is based on the play "Dial M for Murder." Contrary to popular belief, this is not a remake of the famous 1954 Alfred Hitchcock movie that was also based on this play.

In this movie, Wall Street businessman Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas) seems like a devoted and caring husband...He isn't.

His beautiful, rich, sophisticated, accomplished, and much younger wife Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow) seems like the perfect wife...She isn't.

And when Steven hires Emily's lover (Vitto Mortensen) to kill her, it seems like a perfect murder...It isn't.

In fact, nothing is what it seems to be in this sleek and stylish thriller filled with suspense and smart, sharp dialogue.

At each unexpected twist and turn in his "perfect" murder plot, Steven manages to improvise brilliantly. (The numerous twists in this movie are what keeps it interesting and suspenseful.)

Michael Douglas gives an extraordinary performance as the Wall Street wheeler-dealer Steven Taylor. Both Paltrow and Mortensen also give good, interesting performances.

The inside photograpy of the Taylors' luxurious apartment is beautiful. Actually, this entire movie is filmed quite well. The background music helps add to each scene.

I had problems with the movie's ending. I felt it was not of the same high calibre as the rest of the movie. But wait! There is an alternative ending that I thought was much more satisfying.

Finally, the DVD itself (Special Edition) is perfect in picture and sound quality. It has a few extras, the alternative ending (alluded too above), I felt, being the most interesting.

In conclusion, this is a sleek, sophisticated, and stylish movie that keeps you absorbed in it due to its numerous twists and turns!!

(1997; 1 hr, 50 min; wide screen; rated 'R')

+++++

Much Better Than The Original....Except The Ending.......2006-05-05

Boy, here's one re-make I thought was far superior to the original ("Dial M For Murder," with Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and Bob Cummings.) In this film, the stars are Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow and Viggo Mortensen.

The best part of this film may not be the story, or the acting, both of which keep you glued to the screen, but the stylish photography and sets.. They look magnificent, mainly the apartment of the the two leads. I was constantly awed by how good this film looks. The DVD transfer is beautiful.

I also prefer the sequel because it has more twists and is complex enough to thoroughly enjoy every 3-4 years. Also fun are the short speeches each character gives on occasion, usually when they smugly think they have the upper hand. Each time that happens, their antagonist winds up going one up on them! There isn't much action in here but when it occurs, it's very intense.

The only thing that annoys me - unfortunately it's a big one - is the ending in which I don't believe justice totally prevailed. I can't wrote much more without spoiling it for those who have not seen this. One of the parties comes out looking like a 'an innocent victim" and that person was hardly a "saint." If all the parties had received just due, it would have been more satisfying and I would have rated this a '5' without hesitation.

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