A Perfect Getaway: Movie Review

Well, here I am with another movie review from my personal library. Actually, I bought this movie several months ago and only recently watched it.

Ahhh, I still have several other movies that I haven't watched yet, and my library will most likely keep getting bigger, ha!

Ever since The Fifth Element and the Resident Evil series, I developed a liking for Milla Jovovich and her bad ass take on female action heroines. I think many people were attracted to her portrayal of bright orange/white headed Leeloo and her tough super soldier persona of Alice, and I'll admit that I became one of the people who found her irresistible. So after reading the synopsis for A Perfect Getaway, I wondered how Milla would handle playing a character as normal as you and I. In other words, she won't have powers or speak a foreign language.

The results, in my opinion, were quite surprising and enjoyable.

The movie opens to a video replay of a wedding, and the happy couple isn't shown. However, by the next scene, the audience is introduced to the newly weds Cyndey (Jovovich) and Cliff, played by Steve Zahn, as they enjoy their honeymoon on the remote Hawaiian island. Right from the start, the two things that catch my attention are with Milla's performance and her character's last name. After being used to Jovovich playing a commando-like heroine, it was weird seeing her play a down to earth normal woman, very giddy and all smiles, like someone I'd like to spend a Sunday afternoon with. The other is the character she plays is named Cyndey Anderson. The reason I point this out is because it's ironic as seeing that Jovovich is actually married to writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil series).

I found her performance interesting and carefree, again, like someone who's enjoying their honeymoon.

The story takes its first indication of - bump in the road - when Cydney and Cliff encounter another couple along the road and offer to give them a ride. There's a bit of a disagreement and both sides go separate ways on rather uncomfortable terms. This may seem like a minor hiccup, but when the news of the suspects (also newly weds) to a double murder is brought to their attention things turn awkward and suspicions begin to rise. The story takes another turn with the introduction of a third couple, Gina (Kiele Sanchez) and Nick (Timothy Olyphant). To keep this from getting too long, Cydney and Cliff suspect the first couple they met to be the killers and so they seek security in numbers by staying with Gina and Nick.

The first hour of the movie is spent Cyndey/Cliff getting to know Gina/Nick, and let me tell you, during the first hour I thought I was watching a comedy. The character of Nick was so over the top as a ex-special agent with so many anecdotes that he's hilarious, and hearing that Cliff is a screenwriter, Nick starts pitching ideas that 1) serve to humor and intimidate Cliff and 2) set the plot for the rest of the movie. Now, I don't know if this was done intentionally to guide the audience along in suspecting that Nick and Gina are an illusive couple. Or, if is was done to create this interesting fun and dynamic interaction. Either way, I enjoyed Olyphant's performance, and with Milla's giddy, happy California girl nature I found myself enjoying the movie more that I forgot that this was still a suspenseful thriller.

The twists and turns continue as the real killers are identified, and I won't ruin it here just in case others want to discover it for themselves. I will say that there is one strange moment toward the end where Nick goes through a moment of introspection and certain truths are put together. However my grip with this is when Nick's introspect switches to that of Cliff's. As this happened, I kept thinking about how this was possible. Were we in Nick's head or Cliff's, or both through some miracle of telepathy.

All together, A Perfect Getaway truly entertained me. The suspicions about who is really telling the truth about who they say they are, and Olyphant's mysterious yet hilarious performance kept me hook and laughing. Steve Zahn had a note worthy role. Of course, Kiele Sanchez was quite a sight, and Milla Jovovich's smile looked radiant when caught on film.

In the end, it was a time well spent!