A Perfect Man

It is sad that today's audience always needs to see movies with people getting killed, some T&A, some drugs and bad guys/good guys stories, some mistreatment, rape, abuse, winning over prejudice or physical/ emotional weaknesses.

This movie just takes a slice of a couple's life and makes you wonder if it's the last piece or if they are going to make a new one together.

I really like this movie because it is real. More real than any reality show you might be watching. It's tender and tough, it's sad and hopeful. I like it because it's located in one of my most favorite places: Amsterdam, the picture is beautiful: the directing and filming are great and the acting is impeccable: (As another reviewer wrote) Liev Schreiber is very good, as well as Joelle Carter and Louise Fletcher but the outstanding performance of Jeanne Tripplehorn makes you wonder why we don't see her more often in major productions. Don't get me started with the dog.... How did they get him to play his part so well?

Give this movie a try for the simple reason that it is very well done and tasty. I am sure glad I got to see it.

First up, I have to say that I was never aware or could never tell, that this film was made over 13 years. The majority of the film was produced in 2000, then shelved, then finalised some 12/13 years later after reshoots and further editing. None of the cast seems to have aged over that time. I don't really know how the uniformity was achieved.

A Perfect Man is not a great story, but it is interesting. I really liked seeing Jeanne Tripplehorn in a lead role again and feel sorry for her, that the film, when finally released, flopped big time. She deserves better. Her Nina is a dignified woman, though I do find it hard to believe she would have stayed with her husband of 9 years, after 4 previously revealed affairs on his part.

Liev Schreiber does just about the impossible and makes a serial heel of a guy, actually somewhat sympathetic. The Dutch locations are very watchable and largely Dutch support characters of some interest. (Let's not even bring up the stereotypical, big talking. Aussie client.) I did find it a little strange the underlining of Nina's bestie being a supposed trans male, though I guess it did fit in with the running theme of role playing games, operating through the storyline.

The ambivalent conclusion with the possibility floated of a reconciliation in an old location is well-handled and realistic. And the casting of "Lawrence" the dog was a winner as far as I was concerned. Good to see him get fairly extensive screen time. With canine charm and appeal, he easily stole every scene he was in. The curious discerning viewer may well find A Perfect Man to be of some interest.

Review: This is a very simple movie, based in Amsterdam, about a man who has an affair with his work partners wife and blatantly gets caught out by his wife. After her birthday party, she decides to leaves her husband and the rest of the film is about how much they can't live apart. There wasn't that much to the film and I personally found it quite bland and dull. There are a couple of twists along the way, which were pretty predictable and the ending wasn't that amazing. It could have done with a few more interesting characters and some more substance but on the plus side, the acting was OK. It's basically your everyday story about the ups and downs of a relationship, which I got quite bored of after a while. I was hoping for something out of the norm to happen, which it doesn't, but I'm sure that the lovebirds out there will find it slightly entertaining. TV Movie!

Round-Up: Liev Schreiber has certainly had a versatile career. From the action packed X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Salt to deep dramas like the Butler and comedies like Fading Gigolo, he's really covered different genres throughout his career, which started in 1994. At the age of 47, he's not showing any signs of slowing down but I doubt that this film will push him into the mainstream. Jeanne Tripplehorn's claim to fame was her role in The Firm but she hasn't really starred in any major since. I honestly think that Waterworld really destroyed her and Costner's career and there both trying there utmost to get back to were they were at the height of there careers. As for this movie, I was more interested in the dog than the couple, which I totally blame on the director because he didn't give the audience a chance to warm to the cast. Its short an sweet but not my cup of tea.

Budget: $5million Worldwide Gross: N/A

I recommend this movie to people who are into their romance/dramas about a couple who questions there love for each other after the man gets caught having an affair with his wife's best friend. 3/10

I liked the idea of the "reverse" love story. It did an original thing by not going the predictable route.

Nina (Tripplehorn) has had enough of her Husband's cheating, giving him the boot in the process. James (Schreiber) unintentionally falls back in love with Nina after she pretends to be another woman on the phone. I liked the idea of the "reverse" love story. It did an original thing by not going the predictable route. The way it is executed really disappointed me. It is so dull. I had no interest in the two leads. They were unlikable people that I had no sympathy for. Tripplehorn's character is easier to sympathize than Schreiber's, obviously, but that didn't change that I didn't like her either. Why did she put up with this for so long in the first place? He should have been gone the first or second time that she caught him cheating. As a big romantic, I hated this film. The dog stole every scene he was in as far as i'm concerned

3/10