The Perfect Murder

Somewhere along the line, I lost the plot of this film, but that's okay -this Merchant-Ivory production has great Bombay locations and a good sense of Indian culture. And it's pretty funny.

Police Inspector Ghote (Naseeruddin Shah) is an officer with the Bombay Police. His wife wants a color tv. Ghote is assigned to investigate the assault of a man named Mr. Perfect, who works as a Secretary for the filthy rich Lala Heera Lal who may be connected to the underworld.

Ghote's boss asks him to work with a Swedish forensic expert, Axel Svennson (Stellan Skarsgard). Ghote isn't happy, but a friendship develops.

This is very different from other Merchant-Ivory films - it's a comedy, for one. A lot of the humor comes from the characters, who become involved in different bizarre situations.

The biggest shock was seeing Stellan Skarsgard as a young man WOW! Well, age gets us all.

Expect a good mystery. The film explores the full spectrum of Bombay culture and scenic background. The locations and sets are delightful. The characters are well developed. The author of the book gets screen writing credit. Those who are introduced to Inspector Ghote by viewing this film, will probably become interested in checking out the full series of books. There is almost a laugh or chuckle a minute, i.e. chase sequences, pratfalls and sight gags. Cameo appearances by "animals" are a plus. This film belongs in the same category as the "Pink Panther" movies. There is a short run TV series starring Sammy Davis Jr. as "Inspector Ghote". Please email me if you have more info on that to share.

I purchased this DVD as it was a Merchant and Ivory Collection piece and hoping for a good Sunday evening bed time view. I wasn't disappointed and the movie generates some beautiful sceneries and life a far with strange paradoxes in a complex Bombay society. The story is quite similar in fashion and form to Red Heat (1988), and the Rush Hour series of movies. The plot is ridiculous and the screenplay rather dull and nothing ever fits together to solve the riddle as you would like to in this movie. But the laughs are a plenty akin to more to the bumbling Inspector Clouseau genre. Acting is better than the screenplay and the chemistry between the two detectives could be better. The DVD is very sparse and why Criterion ever got involved I am not sure. The transfer is disappointing and somewhat grainy.

Zafar Hai (& not Zafir, as has been printed) is an adman with HTA, the Indian subsidiary of JWT. I read the original novel by H R F Keating after I saw the movie, but I had read enough Ghotes to know the general ambience of his existence. Hai recreates Bombay very well, especially the climactic monsoon. The 'story' is irritatingly simple - the secretary called Perfect gets bumped in the head, so what happened? There is a whole galaxy of great Indian actors, led by Nasiruddin Shah as Ghote & Amjad Khan (one of India's best heavies) as the don - looking as big as Brando, tho' I guess that was a coincidence! I remember watching it in a theatre in Calcutta in my first year in college, & it was good fun. But then I always liked Ghote & detective stories, so. Other's beware.

The film, out on DVD now, does have it's moments but what surprises me is that Stellan Skarsgard actually appears awkward thru most of the movie. Now there are moments when Naseer and Stellan actually seem to bring the lackluster script to life but for the most part the film just prods on, rather unsteadily, despite the presence of some fine Indian actors.

However, as one of the earlier reviews point out, the movie does bring about the look and feel of a city like Bombay and all it's paradoxes. It's touching to see remnants of a culture perched against a back drop of the South Bombay skyline that's amongst the most expensive piece of real estate in the world. WHile a film like this would not help western audiences, looking for an insight into Indian culture and rituals, it does provide entertainment in the form of mannerisms, superstitions, culture specific behavior (like Ghote's middle-class Maharashtrian background, the Goan wedding event taking place in some suburb in Bombay) that are so uniquely Bombay - a place with such an amazing identity and diversity that it leaves a permanent impression on you!