A Perfect Murder (1998) User Reviews (250)

Slick and stylish Hitchcock update

[The_Void · 7/10 · 31 October 2005]

I went into A Perfect Murder expecting to enjoy it, but I recognised the fact that I wouldn't be in for a great film. To be honest, I love thrillers like this as they offer a solid two hours (or so) of non-too taxing entertainment, and what's not to like about that? A Perfect Murder is an update of the Hitchcock classic 'Dial M For Murder', and while the film doesn't touch Hitchcock's in terms of how thrilling it is, this update has been well handled and despite losing things such as the claustrophobia and the tight plot, A Perfect Murder still does what you'd expect it to do. The plot has become more expansive for this update, but the filmmakers have still managed to keep it tight so that the plot is focused mainly on the characters as opposed to the actual crime. The plot follows a rich man (Michael Douglas) who discovers that his trophy wife (Gweneth Paltrow) is having an affair with an artist (Viggo Mortensen). When his business affairs start to go awry, he decides to commit the perfect murder so that he can inherit his wife's trust fund. However, as all of us Hitchcock fans know; there's no such thing as the perfect murder.

Michael Douglas was the absolute perfect choice for this role. He may get typecast as the slimy businessman often, but he does it so well! You can really believe that he wants to kill his wife. Gweneth Paltrow, who is often solid but never outstanding; and Viggo Mortensen, who is actually a good actor, join him and make up the three-piece central cast. Mortensen's performance here isn't awesome; but it's good, and hints at the sort of stuff that would be to come - such as a great turn in David Cronenberg's A History of Violence. Like most nineties thrillers, this one is very stylishly shot and there's a focus on the more steamy elements of the story. The locations used aptly convey the groups within society that the characters belong to and the film does a good job of setting its scenes. The central set piece is well executed, and the build up to it is well done also; but it has to be said that the film starts to fall apart a little after that. Still, A Perfect Murder never becomes boring and even during it's down time; the film still manages to be thrilling. As mentioned, this isn't as great as Hitchcock's version - but as modern remakes go - this certainly isn't a bad one, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

It's a good take on the original.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 28 October 2023]

Wealthy Wall Street tycoon Steven learns that his wife Emily is having an affair with David, an artist and career criminal, Steven decides to do away with his wife, using David to do the job.

Over the last few months I've worked my way though Hitchcock's catalogue of films, I was sat wondering why none of his films had been remade for an age, the I remembered this one.

So it's basically Dial M for murder, with a late 90's twist, so we've got the tech, The Wall Street tycoon and of course that wonderful 90's vibe.

I have no intentions of comparing, as I don't think you can, but as an updated version it's good, it's a stylish flick, I liked the updates, and of course the heart of the story is magical.

It perhaps has a little too much polish, but on the whole it works, Hitchcock films weren't exactly in vogue in the late 90's, so it gets credit for at least being different.

Some nice twists and turns, I particularly liked the way the tech is used, and the way that David turns the tables.

Paltrow and Mortensen are both very good, but I'd argue it is Michael Douglas that stands out, and boy does he look sharp here.

I'd forgotten David Suchet was in this, at the time it seemed as though he'd turned away from Poirot somewhat, output was lower, it felt like he was going to leave the role behind, thankfully he didn't.

7/10.

Imperfect remake of clever stage thriller...

[Doylenf · 11 October 2002]

Hitchcock's DIAL M FOR MURDER was based on the Frederick Knott play of the same name. A PERFECT MURDER takes elements from the play, makes alterations in scenes and characters, changes the ending, and in attempting to modernize the whole thing has added some extra gore to the proceedings so today's audiences won't feel cheated. And yet, the result is not only distinctly disappointing, but inferior.

Only fans of Gwyneth Paltrow and Michael Douglas will relish their performances in this pale rehash of the original material. The complexity of "the key under the stairmat" which was so effectively played out in the Hitchcock film is entirely missing here. The detective work so fascinating in the original play and film is also gone despite the fact that he is played by David Suchet (in a very underwritten role). In short: none of the revisions are any improvement. Nor does Viggo Mortensen impress as Paltrow's lover.

Those who haven't seen the movie or the play DIAL M FOR MURDER will no doubt find some of this absorbing enough--but anyone able to make a comparison is bound to be disappointed. I'll take Ray Milland-Grace Kelly-Robert Cummings under Hitchcock's direction any day over a misguided Paltrow and Douglas under Andrew Davis' direction.

As for the comments of the viewer who said, "Who's Hitchcock?", please...spare me your review.

A Perfect Murder is the perfect example of a great thriller from the 90s

[eva3si0n · 9/10 · 19 June 2022]

A Perfect Murder is the perfect example of a great thriller from the 90s. There's a great cast here, a good plot for a thriller and a solid ending to the film with a climax. One of Michael Douglas' best works. It is these films that are not in modern cinema, so A Perfect Murder only gets better over time.

Starts promisingly...falls apart in the final third

[smerph · 6/10 · 23 May 2011]

It may be more credible to cite Psycho or Vertigo as your favourite Hitchcock, but my particular preference has always been Dial M for Murder. Sure, it's dated far more than a lot of Hitch's films, but it's still a tightly written and intelligent movie; Ray Milland playing a gentlemanly yet murderous businessman who plots to have his wife killed when he discovers she's having an affair and plans to leave him.

A Perfect Murder, the 1998 remake, is a very different beast with different motivations and some major changes to how the plot plays out. This time, it's Michael Douglas whose wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) is playing away from home but, in a move from the source material, it's her ex-con lover who is hired to do the murder.

Despite this deviation, the machinations of the murder plot from the original film are near-identical. A phone call home, a missing key, the supposed disturbed robbery, the would-be killer killed in self-defence...that's all Dial M. And, because of this, the first third of the film bounces along at a great pace.

Into Act 2 and things are still promising with the introduction of David Suchet as the investigating detective. Suchet is a wonderful actor and his first scene holds much potential and evokes memories of John Williams's memorable turn as Detective Hubbard in Dial M. Suchet's Detective Karaman seems smart as a tack and asks awkward questions of our protagonists. And then, inexplicably, the character all but vanishes from the movie without doing any further detecting. In fact, the big reveal of the murder is actually just down to the wife simply snooping through her husband's clumsily-hidden evidence, rather than anyone actually pursuing a line of enquiry.

As a result, the final third is really just our three main characters lying and and cheating. While it's fun to watch Douglas worm his way out of things by repeatedly changing his story, it all leads to a frankly barmy climax where the bodies start to pile up.

I guess A Perfect Murder is more interested in its characters than the tightly woven plot of Dial M, but the original film had charm that this sorely lacks. While Dial M may not seem realistic in its characters' motivations or the generally breezy tone, it's by far the better movie.

Miss these movies

[arod_85 · 6/10 · 8 January 2022]

Movies like these are missing from mainstream cinema today. I haven't seen a decent current psychological thriller for over a decade with the exception of Gone Girl. I am experiencing major Marvel fatigue and really wish the studios put out movies like this between all the blockbuster cgi fests. I miss the 90's thrillers like Kiss the Girls, Hand that Rocks the Cradle, Basic Instinct, Seven, Fatal Attraction, etc. This is my first time seeing this movie in 2022. The first half being significantly better than the second half. The first half was clever and fairly surprising and though unlikely, it was realistic. The second half got a little messy with a cliche ending. Still I appreciate the nice change of pace.

Not perfect, but pretty good

[cardsrock · 7/10 · 7 November 2020]

I enjoyed most of this film up until the messy resolution. The plot doesn't play out in a supremely satisfying way, which hampers the overall impact. The performances are all fine and there's some good suspense throughout. Gwenyth Paltrow's character makes some odd choices and seems generally clueless throughout, but also makes some remarks that appear as if she knows things. It's rather confusing. A Perfect Murder kept me invested all the way through with its sleek and stylish story, I just wish the ending had been a little more thought out.

More Than Just A Remake Of An Old Movie

[seymourblack-1 · 8/10 · 19 November 2010]

This stylish 90's thriller about a love triangle that turns murderous was based on Frederick Knott's play "Dial M For Murder" (which was also the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's movie of the same name). Patrick Smith Kelly's screenplay updates the action, relocates it from London to New York and features enough plot twists to keep most viewers fully engaged throughout. The interactions between the characters at the centre of the story involve a toxic mixture of jealousy, lust, deception and blackmail which inevitably adds to the tensions which exist between them right from the very start.

Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas) is a wealthy Wall Street trader with an unfaithful wife and an investment portfolio which is losing its value so fast that financial ruin seems to be a certainty. In order to deal with these problems he meticulously devises a complex and seemingly perfect plan to murder his wife so that he can solve his financial problems when he inherits his share of her $100 million fortune.

Steven's wife Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow) has for some time been having an affair with a struggling artist called David Shaw (Viggo Mortensen) who Steven visits at his loft studio. Having already researched David's background and discovered that he's actually an ex-convict with a track record of being involved in scams in which rich women were his victims; Steven blackmails him into carrying out the planned murder for $500,000 in cash.

When things don't work out as planned, Steven moves quickly to cover up what's happened, David tries to blackmail Steven because he has some incriminating evidence of his involvement in the murder plot and Emily gradually starts to realise what her husband's been attempting to do.

One of the strengths of this movie is the brilliant casting as Michael Douglas is perfect as the cold and ruthless Steven, Gwyneth Paltrow portrays Emily's natural elegance, refinement and vulnerability convincingly and Viggo Mortensen looks suitably bohemian and at various times shows the mild amusement that David derives from what he does. These three characters all have their secrets as Emily doesn't tell Steven about her affair, he doesn't tell her about his financial problems and David doesn't mention his multiple identities, his criminal record or his background as a con artist.

"A Perfect Murder" isn't as stagy or as claustrophobic as Hitchcock's movie and the new elements which have been added really work well and make the plot more interesting. A wonderfully moody atmosphere is created and maintained throughout the film and some of the remarks made by the characters make a great impact. Examples of this are when Steven and Emily both say at different times "what if there were no tomorrow?" and "that's not happiness to see me, is it?".

It's easy to see why "A Perfect Murder" was such a commercial success because it's actually a great deal more than just a simple remake of a well known movie.

My wife liked it

[mm-39 · 7/10 · 21 March 2001]

This is a good movie, the more I watch it the more I like it. When I first viewed this movie I thought it was ok, but when we bought the video it began to grow on me. The acting is excellent, and the story twists along at a good pace. Douglas is a good actor and his performance alone is worth renting this film.

Really Good Thriller

[mandagrammy · 8/10 · 10 March 2021]

This is the kind of thriller that you can really sink your teeth into. There are plenty of twists and turns, so you cannot always be sure what will happen next. The final scene is the only time that I thought it didn't make logical sense. If you watch the film, you'll understand why I say that. Instead of a character doing what would make perfect sense, they do something that is obviously only there for dramatic effect. That said, it certainly doesn't spoil the movie for me at all. Thumbs up for this one.

Not Perfect At All

[Steve-176 · 18 October 1998]

A Perfect Murder is a lot better than I thought it would be, probably because of the smart direction from director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, Chain Reaction, Under Siege). Given a fairly involved script and an action film, (never mind the dialogue, just cut quickly to the next scene) shooting scheme, Davis has concocted a mainstream thriller that works quite well. A Perfect Murder is based on a middle rated Hitchcock film which was in turn based on a hit Broadway play called Dial M For Murder. Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas, in part revisiting Wall Street's Gordon Gecko) is in financial strife and decides to knock Emily his wife off to grab her money. She's played by the hapless Gwyneth Paltrow. Hubby blackmails his wife's lover (Viggo Mortensen) to do the dirty deed. This film is ferociously mainstream. The music chimes in just so. The bathrobe disappears just so. Michael Douglas plays Michael Douglas to perfection, Paltrow is protected from any line more than fifteen words long, but still A Perfect Murder is never boring. The original Hitchcock version starred Ray Miland and Grace Kelly. There weren't any mobile phones and the wife wasn't screwing the killer. And then there was Grace Kelly rather than Gwyneth Paltrow in that old film. I know who I'd prefer.

Pretty Suspenseful, But......

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 31 August 2007]

I hate to say it but I found myself wanting to help Michael Douglas cover up his crime. I kept saying to myself, "Yeah, that's a good excuse." That's pretty sick. Of course, you set this up with this clutching corporate bastard stereotype, messing up his marriage by controlling every aspect of it. Gwyneth is his wife (couldn't get much better than that) but he runs the house like the business and soon she is in bed with Viggo Mortenson, who is himself a small time crook. Douglas, wanting to control even more, decides to kill her off and the fun begins. This, of course, is Dial M for Murder where Grace Kelley becomes the potential victim (give me your rejects, please!). Douglas is about as cold as a man can be; Mortenson is artistic one moment and dumb the next. Things get a little uneven at times, and if one thinks too much, it could fall apart just a bit. But just like the first film, it's suspenseful and captivating. One character who is wasted is David Souchet, who played Hercule Poroit on those PBS Mystery things. There is a hint of a connection made between the Paltrow character and his, but it is never capitalized upon. In the original, I remember his associated character being a much greater part of the movie. This would have helped a great deal, especially at the end.

Perfect Thriller

[Luigi Di Pilla · 7/10 · 27 July 2003]

Don´t miss this thriller. It's one of the best of Michael Douglas and Gwynieth Paltrow. Viggo Mortensen played his role as a villain lover very well. It was well directed by the master Andrew Davis. Please create another good movie. The story is very hot from the begin to the end and the music by James Newton Howard was as usual perfect. I will add this one to my best of dvd collection. I highly recommend it and check out "Falling Down" with Michael Douglas. 7.5/10.

This update of the Hitchcock thriller is not bad...

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 4 September 2021]

... the original being "Dial M for Murder" from 1954. Lots has changed in the ensuing 44 years, and those changes to society are reflected in the remade film. Here the wife is cheating, not with a guy who is an upright citizen if you overlook he is bedding a friend's wife, but with an artist who has a criminal past of conning rich ladies. Gwyneth Paltrow is the young wife, Emily, with inherited wealth, Michael Douglas plays Steven, the older husband whose financial interests are crumbling and figures out his wife is cheating and with who. He threatens the artist with exposure - to his wife and the police - if he does not agree to kill his wife for money so that Steven can inherit her money and save his business.

So everybody is guilty to a degree. There are not "good" characters and "bad" characters as in Dial M. Society has become too cynical for that to work. Keys still play a big part in the plot as do phone calls, but instead of the brilliant inspector Hubbard figuring everything out, here it is the wife that unravels the plan. The detective in this modern film is largely useless. In the original film the wife is a damsel in distress, unable to determine what exactly has happened and the forces that are arrayed against her. But Paltrow as Emily is an empowered would have been victim.

Such an exciting remake!

[HotToastyRag · 9/10 · 6 October 2020]

If you've never seen Dial M for Murder, put A Perfect Murder on ice for a couple of days while you watch the original. If you see the remake first, you don't stand a chance at liking the 1954 version. Compared to the 1998 reboot, it's boring.

For those of you who do know the story, the setting is transported to New York City. The thin, graceful blonde is Gwyneth Paltrow, and her vengeful, plotting husband is Michael Douglas. Perfect casting, huh? Michael Douglas is fantastic in this movie, with his classic calm-before-I-kill persona in full force. Viggo Mortensen plays the boyfriend, and his character gets the most changes in the remake. Rather than a friend of the husband, and a classy guy himself that she could be proud to wear on her arm, he's a scuzzy starving artist who needs a haircut and a serious interior decorator.

Part of the fun is watching how incredibly stupid Gwyneth Paltrow's character is. Why would you cheat on Michael Douglas? Haven't you seen his temper in his other movies? All kidding aside, why would you cheat on Michael Douglas? He's got looks, class, enough money for her not to suspect he's only interested in her bank account, a respectable job, and impeccable taste. I don't know what's better, his haircut, his wardrobe, or the furnishings in his apartment. The beautiful wood of his desk (which matches the front door) is enough to take your breath away. Gwyneth complains to her girlfriend, Sarita Choudhury, that everything is on Michael's terms. He's shown selecting a dress for her to wear before they go to a social engagement, but little tip-offs like that would have revealed themselves during their courtship. If he needed a trophy wife to conform to his standards, he would have tested her out when they were dating. He's the kind of guy who invited her to the opera and had a new dress delivered to her apartment, and she probably thought it was classy and impressive. If she left him and married Viggo, would he look and act presentable when they went to a gala with her rich friends? My point is that she's very stupid and has remarkably bad judgment.

One of the great touches of the film is how visually pleasing it is to watch. No, I'm not talking about Michael Douglas or Gwyneth Paltrow (or Viggo for the ladies who share similar taste as my mom). There are little touches of red that punch up your awareness. Gwyneth's red lipstick, the red leather couch in their apartment, and streaks of Viggo's red paint across the canvas all heighten our anxiousness for what we know is coming.

There are surprises around every corner in this movie, a wonderful remake from a story that was already interesting to start with. Rent it for a fun girls' night, with no husbands allowed! And just when you thought Dial M for Murder couldn't get any better. . .

Slick, glossy, shallow

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 9 October 2001]

Remake of Hitchcock's "Dial M For Murder" (with a worse title) has the unfaithful wife of a New York City businessman targeted for murder. Unsurprising twists in this updated version do allow Michael Douglas to play a mean SOB again (after too many years of playing the victimized good guy), but the plot feels half-baked. Much of the movie seems to take place off-screen; mostly what we get are fatuous red herrings and character contrivances. What's with all that linguistic talent Gwyneth Paltrow possesses? What's the point?... and when Gwyneth travels to the seedy side of town to try her key in a stranger's apartment, why does the editor cut away after she dramatically enters the building? What does she find inside? Why does she tell Douglas her intentions at the end, only to freeze against the door-jam when he tries to stop her? "A Perfect Murder" isn't a dumb thriller, it's fairly tight and intriguing, and the performances are commendable, but it doesn't satisfy on a hearty level (like Hitchcock). In fact, it ends with a whimper. **1/2 from ****

I thought Gordon Gekko Married Sean Young?.......

[FlashCallahan · 7/10 · 7 May 2012]

Millionaire industrialist Steven Taylor is a man who has everything but what he craves most is the love and fidelity of his wife.

A hugely successful player in the New York financial world, he considers her to be his most treasured acquisition.

But she needs more than simply the role of dazzling accessory.

Brilliant in her own right, she works at the U.N. and is involved with a struggling artist who fulfils her emotional needs.

When her husband discovers her infidelity, he sets out to commit murder and inherit her considerable trust fund in the bargain.

Back in the nineties, even though he is arguably brilliant, with the exception of Falling down, Douglas played the same character in every film he made.

It's not a bad thing, but this movie should have simply been Wall Street 2, and Gekko has escaped from prison and wants his wife's money, wouldn't have been a remake to the Hitchcock classic and would have made more money.

For what it's worth, it's still one of those glossy thrillers that were rife in the cinemas in the late nineties, all about money and power.

Paltrow and Mortenson are very good, but what this film does ask, is who are 'you' rooting for? At times I must admit it was Douglas, because Paltrows character was introduced in the worse way possible, but then Douglas became more and more pantomime villain up until the predictable climax.

The film isn't nothing special, Douglas owns the film as usual, and it's very flashy, and very expensive, but forgettable.

Nothing is perfect.

[Streetwolf · 7/10 · 31 December 2002]

I actually liked this movie, but the ending was bad.

Summary: Steven Taylor and Emily have been married for quite some time yet Emily feels trapped and controlled by Steven so she seeks comfort in the arms of David, a broke artist with a hidden past. Steven knows about the affair yet Emily has no idea that he knows. Steven approaches David and lets him know that he knows everything about David's past and then blackmails him. He pays 100 grand and tells David he will pay another 400 grand after the job is done. What job? Oh, for killing Emily, his wife. David accepts and Steven tells him how to murder Emily and it sounds flawless until Emily manages to kill the intruder in her home and at Steven's surprise, it's not David!

In such cases as these where rich people get married, I understand why there should be a pre-nuptial agreement! The movie is a great thriller yet it lacks....something. Viggo Mortensen was David, the lover who does love Emily but loves money more. Michael Douglas, the loving yet control freak husband Steven, whose empire is falling apart and the only option he has is to kill his wife played by Gwyneth Paltrow, who works for the UN, speaks a few languages but is dumb as a doorbell when it comes to the men in her life.

I rate this 7/10, the movie has lots of great twists and so on, but I saw only Michael Douglas making a real effort in this movie. Viggo was great too, but Gwyneth seems so confused through out this movie.

A classy thriller

[Rodrigo_Amaro · 10/10 · 30 October 2016]

A sense of class and sophistication prevails with dominance in this free remake of "Dial M for Murder" (1954), qualities also present in the Hitchcock film but this one has a sexier and bold quality that appeals to current audiences. Whatever the case, both films are outstanding in their own ways. Simple and safe, without many complex layers to its plot, Michael Douglas plays a problematic yet controlled rich man who wants to kill his wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) and he asks her lover (Viggo Mortensen) to do the job, but it all gets messy when the man hires a third part for the task who fails with his service.

In terms of thrills and chills, "A Perfect Murder" brings back all the energy Andrew Davis has given us with his greatest film, the classic "The Fugitive". Each scene goes by and you wonder what's gonna happen next, the excitement is there, positively enjoyable and never losing the rhythm. A gifted master in creating the perfect scenario for all the intrigue, the plan and the murders, Davis uses of elaborated sequences that rings a Hitchcock touch but with better effect and not so showy like some of Brian De Palma's homages. Shots and plans are in that way for a reason (close-up of a random object that later on reveals its importance) and their use are simply great. Watch more than once and you'll know what I'm talking about. It gets better at each view.

As for the cast, he got it right again. You love to hate Michael Douglas in those roles, effortless but completely magnetic, powerful and with a certain charm that captivates the whole way through. Like Ray Milland in that classic, you sort of like want this man to succeed with his frightening plans. Gwyneth is there because no one else then could fit the role with that measured sweetness. I tried to look back at the female stars of the 1990's and couldn't think of one name that could adapt well into that criteria as the Hitchcockian blonde, in this case a more vulnerable one. Viggo has all the right qualities to play the third man, the young artist/lover with a mysterious past inclined to serve the money coming from his "enemy" instead of saving the love of his life. However, the performance that steals the show is the one given by David Suchet as the detective behind the case. Usually the villain or playing Hercule Poirot, Suchet carries a weight that works with a sense of amazement and reality, with a character dealing with some internal problems that are seen by Gwyneth's character with thoughtful respect - their exchange in a foreign language is pure charm and greatness.

Today's thrillers don't have the same quality and class "A Perfect Murder" has. It's all about being fast, furious and more edgy in certain aspects, and that doesn't always work, it usually makes it look poor developed. Rewatching this film was like rediscovering a time and a genre that didn't need constant plot twists to make it more effective - it had some but they're all brilliantly executed. Call me nuts but there's pure excellence in this film. Too bad that Mr. Davis never got back on top like that again. But I still hope for more. 10/10

a plot as perfect as the murder planned

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 1 October 2006]

Steven (Michael Douglas) and Emily Taylor (Gwyneth Paltrow) look like the typical rich New Yorkers: he's twice her age, they live in a high-rise, and both have prestigious jobs. But she doesn't know that he's planning to have her killed to pay off his debts. And he doesn't know that she's cleverer than he thinks.

"A Perfect Murder" does a very good job updating "Dial M for Murder". They keep the suspense going every step of the way. And they really pull some surprises. Equally as good as the aforementioned stars is Viggo Mortensen; he gives sort of an air of Aragorn's bad side. But either way, this is certainly a movie that I recommend. Also starring Sarita Choudhury.

good flick, but could have been much better

[lexyflex · 7/10 · 23 December 2001]

Wow, why did they ruin a gem like this. I think thats what most of the people who have seen this movie will say.

What went wrong? Well, the movie starts out pretty good. Immediately there is a certain tense in it, when Michael Douglas pops up a few times, and you're wondering if he knows his wife has a new lover. After that the movie goes in a faster pace, and reaches very high levels. At that time, I was amazed about the script. It was really magnificent. Every time I got really surprised with totally unexpected things happening. Nothing wrong until now.

Then finally, the film makes a crucial mistake regarding the end. The end of every movie is one of the most important things, A part that can make or break a movie. Well in this case, the end totally breaks / ruins the movie.

WARNING: ***SPOILER***

I thought the movie ended when Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow (the married couple) planned a dinner, Douglas went to the shower, and they would live happily ever after, without Paltrow finding out that her husband Douglas did plan to murder her, and with him being relieved that nobody knows what the hell he did, and the fact that his wife Paltrow is devoted to him again.

But then, it was a shock for me, that the movie continued for several minutes, in which Paltrow finds the tape with the evidence that Douglas planned the whole murder attempt. Then she kills him after some stupid fight between them.

The end degrades the movie. Without the end I would have rated it 9 out of 10, but sadly it has this end so I rate it a 7 out of 10, and it suddenly isnt one of my alltime favorites.

What an end can do ......

A passable remake of Hicthcock's ‘Dial M for Murder'

[MIKE-WILSON6 · 8/10 · 12 July 2001]

A Perfect Murder ( a loose remake of ‘Dial M for Murder ) is a

stylish thriller in its own right ,but doesn't come close to the

original. As I remember and not to give away any of the plot, ‘Dial

‘M' is all about the key. Where it is hidden, Who knew it was there,

and who finds it. This plot line is gripping, but in ‘Perfect Murder'

this whole part of the story has been overlooked. Having said that

the film still works quite well, thanks to Michael Douglas. He really

is superb. Gwyneth Palthrow looks stunning, but David Suchet is

wasted as the detective. But where the film really falls down is the

ending. In the original the last scenes are gripping in the hunt for

the key, but for some reason director Andrew Davis sees fit to end

with the standard formula of a shoot out. Having said that the film

is still worth seeing, but if you need to watch this story, I

recommend the original.

slick Douglas but don't care about couple

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 18 June 2015]

Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow) is the wife of wealthy New Yorker Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas). She's an aide to UN Ambassador Alice Wills and having an affair with painter David Shaw (Viggo Mortensen). Steven suspects her infidelity and is in dire financial trouble. He also discovers that David is con man named Winston Lagrange and offers him $500k to kill his wife. After the break-in, police detective Mohamed Karaman (David Suchet) investigates.

In the original, Alfred Hitchcock is able to create some limited sympathy for Grace Kelly by making her a blackmail victim. There is no such feelings for Gwyneth Paltrow. Also David Shaw is a con man in this version so there is no likability for the cheating couple. Douglas is a great slick puppet master but I don't really care about these people. It's great to have Douglas slithering across the screen but director Andrew Davis is unable to generated the needed tension or thrills.

American ( A+Movie ) My Ratings 8/10

[THE-BEACON-OF-MOVIES-RAFA · 8/10 · 26 January 2021]

A clever thriller with great performances all around. one of my favorite films. if you see this, be sure to check the alternate ending - it's way better

Much Better Than The Original

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 27 February 2006]

Boy, here's one re-make I thought was far superior to the original. The latter was "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.

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.

I've viewed this movie four times and 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 10 for how entertaining it is to watch.