A Perfect Murder (1998)

A husband's plot to murder his wife by hiring his wife's lover as a hitman comes unstuck in a number of heavily signposted ways and from there this suspense thriller low on suspense and thrills, apparently inspired by Dial M For Murder but really only similar in two ways (Gwyneth Paltrow and Grace Kelly's blonde hair and a logic problem involving apartment door keys) goes on in rudderless, convoluted ways, desperately trying to find a way to wrap up the leaden acting and plodding events.

★★☆☆☆

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

Dial M For Murder (1954)

Generally, I'm not mad on murder mysteries or thrillers that hinge on logistical matters like times and places, alibis, who was where when, and so I don't get excited about the logic problem of keys and doors at the heart of this classic Hitchcock, but watching the visciously cool Ray Milland pitting wits with John Williams' Inspector Hubbard is thrilling, and especially enjoyable if you are lucky enough to see this in a cinema in its intended 3D.

★★★★★

CINECAL: ONE SENTENCE REVIEWS