The Perfect Man

To my dismay, this was a good movie! It was funny, incredibly cute, and super underrated! The critics described this movie to be: Perfectly dreadful, 1/10, and "How many blonds does it take to make a crappy movie; apparently 3! And I believed them! I was so naive at that time! But when I was in Newfoundland my aunt had burned this movie and my older sister wanted to watch it. I just said whatever and I thought I would fall asleep. I didn't. I really liked the character Amy because she was very funny and very pretty. This movie had a great plot! I loved this so much we both watched it again. Yes, it was great! This also had one great screenplay. I liked how Holly wanted to make her mom happy so she did that, which was wrong, but nice. I also liked the friendship between Holly and Amy. I could definitely see a life long friendship between the two because they really seem to get along and they became great friends. And I really thought Vanessa's(Amy's) fake New York accent was pretty convincing. She pulled off the role of a New Yorker, when she is really a Canadian.

The character Zoey was adorable and I just wanted to pick her up because she was so cute. I really liked Lenny too. He was pretty funny and he was somewhat annoying. If I was the mom, I wouldn't date that guy in a million years! I know that sounds shallow but it really isn't, Lenny is funny but is still a little bit of a cocky jerk. Even though he has nothing to be cocky about(except for his hot ride) I would probably go out with Ben(if I was like 30 years older!) because he is a nice man. I was impressed with this film and you will be too. Rent it, please.

Hilary Duff has never made a movie on her own that I've liked. "A Cinderella Story" was mediocre at best and "Raise Your Voice" had to be on the worst films of 2004. "The Perfect Man" is another Duff vehicle that received horrid reviews, which is funny because I actually thought it was sort of decent. It is the type of movie that is bland and indistinguishable, yes, but also decently so. The storyline zips along with enough plausibility and chuckles for you to feel like the rental fee was worth it. Unlike "A Cinderella Story" and "Raise Your Voice," Duff is not a victim this time, which was refreshing. In fact, she's can be narcissistic and cruel. Heather Locklear plays her distressed mom, and I haven't seen any of her other films but I thought she was believable enough. Ben Feldman is affable as Duff's love interest and Chris Noth is quite good as a charming restraunteer. Speaking of Noth, a good way to sum up "The Perfect Man" is that it plays out a more extended version of a Sex and the City episode, only without the risqué humor or racy subject matter, which makes it a good fit for moms and their daughters. Not a great film, but it follows its dubious formula well enough for me to recommend it to some.

GRADE: B

OK. I'm a Caucasian male in my 30's, there is no reason this film should appeal to me. So, I had the opportunity to see it last night. It has been a long time since I've been so pleasantly surprised in a movie theater. Firstly, the performances were great- Duff and Locklear (I never liked her before, but she's funny and beautiful and delivers... crazy) were dynamic and interesting. Noth is kind of irritating, but I guess some people find him sexy. Anyway, what on the face is a silly small tale is in fact a movie of surprising depth about relationships, the fear of solitude, and familial interaction. Who the hell knew a director of pulpy TV stuff had this in him? I'm considering that perhaps I was emotionally available or vulnerable, but objectively, the film-making is consummate. It looks great- like a big 80's comedy, nice and vivid and bright. So, don't fight if you are taken by a wife/daughter... you will be nicely surprised.

THE PERFECT MAN is another one of those fluff romantic comedies that just keep recycling - single mom and pseudorebellious daughter make everything work after plotted plans go astray. This is one of those films that you rent because the video store is closing and you need a somnolent-inducing DVD. But in the case of THE PERFECT MAN there are some nice surprises!

Jean Hamilton (Heather Locklear) is a 40ish single mom who bakes specialty cakes and can't land a man. Whenever she gets close to a commitment or when she is passed by, she runs, family in tow, to a new city, new friends, new opportunities to find a man before she is too old. Her daughters Holly (Hilary Duff) age 16 and little Zoe (Aria Wallace) go along with the transplanting moves, understanding and supportive of their mother but yearning for some permanence. The newest move is to Brooklyn: Jean is welcomed back to a bakery of friends, Holly finds reasons to like her new school (friends female and male) and Zoe starts on a run toward a spelling bee. Since Jean is so desperate for a man, she is swept off her feet by a fellow baker who is sweet but otherwise fairly low on the food chain. Holly and her new friend Amber (Michelle Nolden) plan a way to capture Jean's attention from a created secret lover, their information comes from Amber's restaurateur Uncle Ben (Chris Noth) who tells them the secrets to winning a woman's heart.

Let the games begin: first flowers, then gifts, then letters, then email, then I'm, and Jean feels as though there really is someone special out there who loves her. But as all games go, this one has its successes and major failures and as Holly grows to understand her mother's dilemma, she finds her own in her reluctance to accept the fact that her friend Adam (Ben Feldman) has fallen for her and wants her around. From that point it is a comedy of errors until the final frames where, as expected, all works out for the best for everyone.

Shallow, yes. Been there, done that, yes. But the surprise is the growth of Heather Locklear as an actress! She has come along ways from her 'Dynasty'/'Melrose Place' days as basically set decor and has accepted her age gracefully, coupling that with a nuanced acting ability that makes her a welcome 'newcomer' to the screen. She is worth sitting through this little yawner, making it come alive every time she is on screen. Grady Harp

I saw the DVD and I was totally disappointed. The first time I saw the advert for this in the universal studios I was actually looking forward to it, thinking it would be a sweet, feel-good movie. But the plot makes no sense, Hilary Duff is a really bad actress, I don't like Heather Locklear's selfish character "Jean Hamilton" - the producers and scriptwriter obviously aren't parents (what mother is that desperate for a man that she puts that before taking good care of her children?) When I finished watching it I felt like I have wasted a perfectly good Saturday night. My advice is don't watch this movie, it's boring and you won't feel good after watching it at all.