Perfect Murder, A MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: -2

Millionaire Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas) seems to have everything going for him. He is successful, powerful and married to a beautiful woman, Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow). But beneath his cool exterior there is a volcano brewing, and when Emily takes artist David Shaw (Viggo Mortensen) on as her lover, the volcano erupts. With Taylor's finances in disarray and jealousy clouding his every thought, Taylor begins to plan the perfect murder. He uses his wife's relationship with Shaw to his advantage and soon an unbelievable game of cat and mouse ensues. Emily begins to question Steven's loyalty and he begins to plan for her demise. And no one is as they seem. Tension mounts as the audience is left wondering who will come out on top and who won't live to see daylight. A PERFECT MURDER is a provocative suspense thriller. However, it does not remain true to Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder, upon which it was based.

Although it will hold the attention of audiences, it is predictable down to the last scenario, which is a little disappointing. David and Emily are seen in bed together several times and sex is implied. There is also brief breast nudity during one of the sex scenes and Emily is seen in her stockings and underwear. Don't be fooled by this seemingly mild thriller. There is some gruesome violence involved. In one scene a man gets stabbed viciously in the chest. Emily is beaten and thrown around by her husband and an intruder. And in another scene a man dies from a meat poker in the neck, while blood spurts profusely everywhere. There are also many crudities and obscenities and a few profanities spoken which could have easily been left out. A PERFECT MURDER is far from being a perfect film. It's just another classic case of a suspenseful film polluted with gratuituous gore and foul language.

Preview Reviewer: Sherry Oswald
Distributor: Warner Bros. 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA. 91522