The Perfect Husband

Tim Roth has this creepy quality about him that somehow makes him irresistible in this film. He plays a wealthy playboy who appears to be emotionally inpenetrable. This is a man who knows how to dress impeccably, but eats cake off another's plate with his hands--because he can. This is a man whose victories at duels number 29 because of the number of men's wives he has seduced. Tim Roth is brilliant in communicating his arrogance and boredom through his eyes, his posture, and his gait.

But he is a multi-dimensional character, and his affection for his sister and nephews is unquestionable. It is this affection for his family that makes his seduction of Theresa believable as love--otherwise, I would have interpreted it as only another conquest. His behavior at a duel at the film's opening also tells us he has a conscience.

But credit does not stop at Tim Roth's performance. Firth is impressive as a kindly looking gentleman, an open friend and passionate husband, who we learn is capable of the coldest revenge. I recommend this movie; it's not as predictable as the beginning leads you to think, and is well-made.

I ordered The Perfect Husband for research purposes only especially on the late Victorian era. It was set in 1900 Prague so I bought the tape to observe the wardrobe, art direction, and style of that period. The most interesting moment is in the beginning about a man who fights with an old lady and a dog. She throws his cigar out the train window. He takes and throws the dog out to fetch it. It's a pretty sick moment in the film with a happy ending. There is much more to this story about marriages, infidelity, and a child's illness. It is done quietly and with subtleness. It is worth watching again but I would fast forward the scene about the dog because it makes me uncomfortable to think about it even. I'm sure nothing happened to that dog in real life.

Tim Roth has this creepy quality about him that somehow makes him irresistible in this film. He plays a wealthy playboy who appears to be emotionally impenetrable. This is a man who knows how to dress impeccably, but eats cake off another's plate with his hands--because he can. This is a man whose victories at duels number 29 because of the number of men's wives he has seduced. Tim Roth is brilliant in communicating his arrogance and boredom through his eyes, his posture, and his gait.

But he is a multi-dimensional character, and his affection for his sister and nephews is unquestionable. It is this affection for his family that makes his seduction of Theresa believable as love--otherwise, I would have interpreted it as only another conquest. His behavior at a duel at the film's opening also tells us he has a conscience.

But credit does not stop at Tim Roth's performance. Firth is impressive as a kindly looking gentleman, an open friend and passionate husband, who we learn is capable of the coldest revenge. I recommend this movie; it's not as predictable as the beginning leads you to think, and is well-made.