Perfect

Really, "Perfect" is not the tactical warhead everyone seems to be implying. This is not on the same level as 80s catastrophes like "Megaforce", "Grease 2", "Howard the Duck", or (heaven help us) "Staying Alive". "Perfect" is nothing more than tragic misfire from extremely talented director James Bridges ("The Paper Chase", "Urban Cowboy") that makes the dire mistake of treating the aerobics, health club fad of the mid-80s as a serious cultural phenomenon (ugh).

It also helped to derail John Travolta's career for the better part of a decade - sad, because all one has to do is take a look at his outstanding performances in "Blow Out" and "Urban Cowboy" and realize that his acting in "Perfect" was just fine (if a bit low key). It's a shame, he could have made a lot of great movies while he was stuck in dreck like "The Experts" and strange late 80s Altman theatre pieces like Pinter's "The Dumb Waiter" (with Tom Conti!).

Travolta plays a Rolling Stone journalist hot on the trail of a big story about how health clubs are the new pick-up joints, replacing singles bars. He meets "The Pied Piper of aerobics teachers" Jamie Lee Curtis, a former Olymic swimmer who was once burned by a journalist over a piece about how she was having an affair with her coach. Of course, she and Travolta hook up and Travolta meets some other folks who frequent the gym, who are like supporting characters in a David Lynch movie (I'm unsure if the director intended to portray them as weird as they come off).

Real-life Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner shows up to essentially play himself (not very well) and, in the film's most laughable detail, Travolta writes a version of his story portraying health clubs as Emersonian watering holes of the future (or something like that).

It's all kind of bloated and weird, but really not that bad. Travolta's actually pretty good. Jamie Lee Curtis looks great but comes off as slightly grouchy, but she was probably directed that way.

Don't miss Travolta's notorious pelvic thrust sequence (you can't miss it).

If you're going to watch this movie you have to take it for what it is, eye candy. A cheesy love story about a gym trainer and a reporter. I enjoyed Jamie Lee's acting, she made the film worth watching as she always brings light to her films. As always John Travolta gives his usual performance, if you're a fan of Travolta then I recommend giving this one a try. I do like the deeper meaning/message of the movie, people go to the gym because they believe if they look perfect someone will love them. I don't like that it's stated in the film, "Nothing is wrong with wanting to be perfect, to be loved." But it's nice that the movie has a deeper message then just a shallow storyline.

A legendary flop and a legendarily bad movie, this mess is part three in a career-killing trilogy of Travolta's that also includes "Staying Alive" and "Two of a Kind". It took him a long time to bounce back. It also stalled Curtis's career for a while until "A Fish Called Wanda" rescued her. The story, such as it is, concerns Travolta, a Rolling Stone magazine reporter, looking for a story angle within a huge gymnasium at the height of the aerobics and fitness craze. He's already working on another more important story, but wants this as a back-up in case an all-important interview falls through. He zeroes in on high-profile aerobics instructor Curtis who has a huge following (which often kisses her on the mouth following one of her workouts!) Unfortunately, she's had a major disaster with a reporter in the past and resists being interviewed for his story. In order for there to be a movie, he must wear her down and get her assistance even though there are 90 other instructors at this mega-gym. The film is very unfocused and disjointed throughout. It tries to be too many things: a reflection of investigative journalism, an ethics drama, an examination of self-esteem issues, a music video crash-course in Jazzercise and, most obviously, a jiggle movie with emphasis on lycra-clad spread legs and tight behinds. The script is so crass and stupid with ludicrous lines like, "You're a sphincter muscle..." (this one is repeated often!) and unnecessary subplots which lead nowhere. Travolta is awful. He speaks his lines with his mouth almost open, stares blankly with no skill at conveying what's on his mind and, in the films most celebratedly horrendous scene, gyrates his bulging crotch at the camera ad nauseam while sweat trickles down his pale, clammy face and body. Curtis looks very fresh and attractive most of the film (if a bit sexually ambiguous) eschewing the huge hair and heavy make-up of the times. Her character is a little too self-righteous, but her acting is better than anyone else around. Wenner, a non-actor, provides a jarring presence whenever he appears because he (along with several other "real" people cast in the film) hasn't got the polish to really sell his role even though it reflects his position in real life (as the founder of Rolling Stone!) Most of the other actors in the film either overact horrendously or flat-line. More importantly, the audience does not care about anyone in the film and so does not care when various events and revelations come about. There is some inherent camp value in revisiting the hilarious workout clothes of the 80's and in hearing the bouncy, tacky music of the era, but the movie is way too long for it's subject matter and the music montages wear out their welcome very quickly. And for all the sweating and gyration, there are no sex scenes in the film. Look out for pansexual Burt Reynolds look-alike (and alleged Travolta bed partner) Barresi in the cast as a gym rat eager to show off his body.

I first saw this movie some years ago on TV having missed it at the cinema, and found it very entertaining. The story and 'visuals', though not fantastic, was I think good enough to hold the shortest of attention spans. Mine included. The film is set in a health club in Los Angeles, with John Travolta starring as an ace investigative reporter for real-life mag Rolling Stone. It also features a brilliant funked-up disco soundtrack, featuring long forgotten artists like Jermaine Jackson, Jermaine Stewart, and Carol Lynn Towns, and follows Travolta's charchter as he writes a piece about the health club scene, and courts one of the fitness instructors there, played by Jaimie Lee Curtis. Unbeknownst to her, he's using her and some of her patrons, in order to write a sleazy story for his voracious boss played by the real Rolling Stone editor. It's not hard to guess what happens next, as Travolta and Curtis fall for each other, Curtis finds a copy of his article on his computer which causes conflict between them, and we get to see some fine acting from Jaimie Lee during those scenes. Travolta decides to kill the story, but his angered boss enlists the help of photographer played by Anne DeSalvo, in order to rewrite it without Travolta's knowledge.

But the best parts of the film, has to be scenes set during Curtis' classes (the visuals I mentioned earlier). Along with the pumping disco soundtrack, these scenes are excillerating to watch - and not just for the sexy hard bodies. When this film appeared again on TV recently, I just had to record it, and watch it all over again. Not because I'm perverted you understand, but because it's so...kitsch, and seems to be indicative of the silly hedonistic LA scene of the early 1980s. It has some truly funny moments also. Watch for the scene where Travolta searches for Jaimie Lee in a hotel holding a convention, which features Boy George look-alikes. It's hilarious!!

This film was only recently brought to my attention, I've so far watched it five times. Why? Because I'm a writer who loves to study effective character work in effective screenplays. The fact that this film received a Razzie nomination for worst screenplay only serves to invalidate the Razzies for me rather than changing my opinion of this film.

The way some reviews even mention the fact that the film was a flop as though that validates their opinion that it was awful. So The Thing (1982) was awful then? Or Blade Runner the same year. There are many reasons for films to flop, marketing for instance, or how about the fact that it was competing with Rambo II, The Goonies, Brewster's Millions, hell even Beverly Hills Cop released six months earlier was still doing good business then.

The summer of 1985 was saturated with hits, and here they threw this little character driven narrative into that environment, I don't understand how they thought it could have been a hit frankly. Kids wouldn't get it, frankly adults who just wanted to see Jamie Lee Curtis in a leotard probably wouldn't get it.

It's a story about a reporter (Travolta) who, at the start of the film, has the gumption to use women to get a story; a man who had no conscience about that behaviour. Until that is he falls in love with a woman (Curtis) he is trying to use for a story. His love for her challenges his self perception and forces him to rethink his ways as he tries to save himself from a broken heart.

The film centres around a health club where he finds women obsessed with the pursuit of physical perfection (at least by their perception). Women who believe it is the only way they will ever be loved. Thematically it's quite tragic, and I was a little underwhelmed by the writer's lack of any real insight into that cultural problem but figured that was symptomatic of what was understood about mental health in the 1980s compared to today, so I forgive him that.

If you're not afraid of character driven narratives, like most people who only watch mainstream films, then you should find this film enjoyable. The pacing is a little slow and they linger for far too long on the aerobics sessions (although not if you're watching for pervy reasons) but if you can get past that and get behind the character's story then you should enjoy it.