Un paradis d'enfer

A Perfect Getaway {dir. David Twohy,2009}

**½/****

A solid, fast paced B-thriller with winking (and surprising) sense of humor, A Perfect Getaway is not as much of a stiff genre exercise as the ads may make it seem. It is true, there is a final twist, but it falls in line with the rest of the film: a slightly off-kilter, audacious, but entertaining endnote. As an exercise of set up and payoff, both halves of the film work fairly well on their own terms, but I cannot help but wish that the first half had a bit more palpable Hitchcockian tension and suspense instead of "Scream"-like rib nudging . Nevertheless, this is involving enough and thrilling enough to be worth at least the price of a matinée, providing that your willing to suspend your proverbial disbelief.

Cliff and Cydney are an adventurous young couple celebrating their honeymoon by backpacking to one of the most beautiful, and remote, beaches in Hawaii. Hiking the wild, secluded trails, they believe they've found paradise. But when the pair comes across a group of frightened hikers discussing the horrifying murder of another newlywed couple on the islands, they begin to question whether they should turn back. Unsure whether to stay or flee, Cliff and Cydney join up with two other couples, and things begin to go terrifyingly wrong. Far from civilization or rescue, everyone begins to look like a threat and nobody knows whom to trust. Paradise becomes hell on earth as a brutal battle for survival begins… --© Universal

A PERFECT GETAWAY is one of the more genuinely smarter thrillers I've seen in quite awhile. It has a clever script in the same vein as SCREAM written by David Twohy, who's also the director. You have characters that are self aware of things called "red herrings" and "twists," almost as if they are breaking the fourth wall, not to mention one of our characters is a screenwriter. And, to top it off, the film does not rely on cheap, gimmicky action sequences and CGI to keep things interesting. It's truly a first-rate thriller.

But I'm sad to say the film is not for everyone. To some, nothing really happens in the first two acts of the film. To me, I was so interested in the character development and the discussions the characters were having. The first two acts is all build up to an explosive third act where director Twohy pulls all the stops. If you're willing to sit and pay attention in the talky scenes, you'll be rewarded. Pay no attention at all, and you'll be missing a lot of crucial information that ties into a plot twist.

Speaking of twists, the surprise twist in here is, I'll admit, not that surprising. However, it's executed really well. And I'm sure some people will be put off by the twist because how it cheats. I'm here to say it doesn't. Like Roger Ebert said, it only seems to. The script is written in a way that the plot is tight and that there aren't any contradicting scenes that will bring the story down. It's as if Twohy found all the loose ends and fixed them up until there were no plot holes at all.

I enjoyed the performances a lot. Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich play characters in which I would love to hang out with. Zahn is as great as always in the geeky role. Jovovich also pulls off a convincing performance as the sympathetic, free-loving wife. Timothy Olyphant also does a terrific job making his character likable yet suspicious. Kiele Sanchez is great as his girlfriend. Chris Hemsworth and Marley Shelton play another couple, although I felt they were underused.

In the end, the film is a perfectly fine thriller that makes you guess and second guess yourself. The film truly benefits from Twohy's extremely clever script and great direction. I also liked the score by Boris Elkis and the beautiful cinematography. If you like thrillers, give this a watch. You won't regret stopping for this getaway. I'm sorry. I just had to do it.

With his latest film, director and writer David Twohy has once again crafted a story that stands on its own yet features characters we wouldn't mind revisiting in future movies.

A Perfect Getaway features a simple premise. Cliff and Sydney (played convincingly by Zahn and Jovovich) are having their honeymoon in Hawaii, while serial murders of young couples in the area are reported. The viewers are in for a thrill ride as the duo meet other tourists along the way, many of which appear alarmingly suspect.

For a major part of the film, these two hook up with Nick and Gina and the relationship between all four is fascinating to watch. Actors Olyphant and Sanchez are wonderful playing these parts and the chemistry between all four actors makes the movie work.

The cinematography and pacing of this film is as effective as what was seen in Pitch Black, although both movies obviously go for a slightly different feel. Twohy effectively makes Hawaii look like a paradise but also a remote, isolated and potentially menacing area. This makes the film both eye candy and a great thriller.

If anything, the movie could have been an instant classic but is ruined by a final confrontation that lets the viewers down and seems to take the easy road. It is almost anti- climactic in the way it unfolds.

Much like Pitch Black, the movie is still pleasant in that it mixes light humour with the drama and tension. Twohy firmly intends to entertain first and foremost without pretension and this is what makes the movie work. The film also makes for a pleasant repeat viewing, which is why it deserves a solid 7.

Get the popcorn out and enjoy the ride!

Perfect Getaway, A (2009)

*** (out of 4)

The "old dark house" genre was made famous back in the silent days as we'd get a group of people in one house with the idea that one of them is a killer. That basic idea continues with this film, although instead of a house we're treated the beautiful locations of Hawaii. A newlywed couple (Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich) are on their honeymoon in Hawaii and decide to go on an eleven mile hike. Half way through the hike they learn that another newlywed couple were butchered. The film then has our couple meeting two other couples (Timothy Olyphant/Kiele Sanchez, Marley Shelton, Chris Hemsworth) with the possibility that one of them are the murderers. This 97-minute movie is pure buildup for the final ten minutes when the twist is revealed. I certainly won't reveal the twist but I must say I was somewhat letdown by it but not enough to really enjoy the film. This is the type of movie that gives you a rather simple idea and then works every little inch out of it and in the end we're left with a pretty tense little thriller that is sadly being marketed as a horror movie, which might keep some people away. The film benefits from the great locations, terrific acting and some nice direction. All six leads do a terrific job and it was great seeing someone like Zahn get the leading role. He's basically played supporting roles most of his career but he has no problem carrying the film here. He and Jovovich have great chemistry together and work well with the other cast members. Olyphant clearly steals the film as the ex-soldier who is hiding a few secrets of his own. Another very positive thing about this film is that the majority of it takes place during the daylight so there's nothing jumping out of the shadows at night. I think it's brave to try and build suspense during the day but the director pulls it off perfectly. The 2.35:1 aspect ratio picks up the entire beauty of the island, which really becomes a character all by itself. The film is up for a lot of debate over the twists and turns it takes, which is good. Discussion never hurts a movie and I'm sure people will be discussing what happens here. I personally found it to be a cheat but a lot of thrillers do this. No matter how one feels about the twists there's really no denying that there's still a lot of fun and tension building up to the final moments.

Newlyweds Cliff (Steve Zahn) and Cydney (Milla Jovovich) are honeymooning in Hawaii when they decide to hike a popular trail through the lush Hawaiian wilderness. Halfway into their hike, the two learn about the slaying of another newlywed couple on one of the neighboring islands. The killers? A man and woman. Soon after, they encounter another couple on the trail, Nick (Timothy Olyphant) and his girlfriend, Gina (Kiele Sanchez). The four continue on the trail as a group, but it isn't long before Cliff and Cydney begin to suspect their new acquaintances of being the killers. There's also the shady hitchhikers, Kale (Chris Hemsworth) and Cleo (Marley Shelton, looking particularly nice with braided hair), who seem to be following them.

While I was able to correctly guess the identity of the killer's just from watching the trailer, I still had a great time with this. The performances are really strong. I've heard others say that Zahn and Jovovich aren't a believable pairing. I've seen several instances of stunning women with less attractive guys, so that's nonsense. Aside from that, they're terrific together. This is a dialogue-heavy film with several amusing character moments thrown in, all of which the actors nail. Olyphant is the standout as Nick, a former marine with a bit of a screw loose. The humor actually works, the quirkiness adding to the picture. I also thought that the B&W exposition scene was well-done, better than most of it's ilk. These types of scenes are generally frowned upon, but here it winds up being a highlight.

The Puerto Rican locations (subbing for Hawaii) are quite lovely, though the dangers of the trail aren't played up as much as I'd expected. It isn't an element that's necessarily needed, however, as I found the film to be plenty suspenseful as is. The killers were obvious to me, yes, but the I was more caught up in the situations than the reveal. For instance, the situation of the reveal made for a terrific moment. It's all in how it's done. While I could have done without the annoying screenwriter in-jokes, they don't ruin the suspense either.

I'd say that director David Twohy has more hits than misses, and this clever slice of pulpy entertainment continues that trend.