A Perfect Getaway

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.

The Perfect Getaway tells the story of newlyweds Cliff and Cydney who go to the tropical islands of Hawaii for their honeymoon.There they meet Kale and Cleo, two disgruntled hitchhikers and Nick and Gina, two wild but well-meaning spirits who help guide them through the lush jungles.Everything takes a turn for the worst when Cliff and Cydney learn of a grisly murder that occurred nearby.The local police is looking for a couple and Cliff and Cydney new acquaintances happen to fit the description of the killers. The perfect getaway is a little thriller that serves its purpose; it entertains but if you're expecting more then that you're going to be disappointed.There's a big twist that adds originality to this genre which is usually full of clichés, but honestly, I saw it coming. If you're an avid movie goer you'll probably figure it out,if not, chances are you'll be surprised.Having said that the script is very well written and well thought.The locations are beautiful and the acting is great by all parts,specially Steve Zahn who has been getting better and better roles lately.As I said, The Perfect Getaway is an entertaining little thriller but its far from being a great movie. Just manage your expectations and watch it for what it is.

6.5/10

A Perfect Getaway was nowhere near a perfect film, but it was certainly a good film. The trailers made it out to be a much more non-stop, action thriller than it really was, showing the last 20 minutes. The majority of the film centers around paranoia. It is true though that the plot twist can be seen coming from a mile away, but how it is delivered is where it succeeds. While I personally wasn't surprised, how the twist was presented was quite original and chill-inducing. I'll leave it at that. Where this film really succeeds is in the cinematography and acting, both of which are superb. The locale is beautiful, all the colors are vibrantly displayed and everything looks crisp. There are some scenes with intriguing camera work that works well to add intensity and be intuitive. All the actors really give it their best and create believable characters. Milla was good as usual, but Zahn really surprised me. I never really gave him credit for how good of an actor he is until about now. Overall, it's worth the watch and is ultimately very entertaining with wonderful characters.

A PERFECT GETAWAY is a whodunit-style mystery set on some Hawaiian islands. There's been a brutal murder nearby, and the scriptwriter introduces three separate couples into the mix, inviting us to watch as they interact and mistrust one another. It's the viewer's job to work out who the killer is before the time runs out. I have to say that I worked out the twist early on, something I'm not normally able to do, so it's up to you in deciding whether it's over-obvious or not.

As such, it's a rather artificial exercise in filmmaking. There's a distinct tongue-in-cheek approach to the material, a slightly deliberate cheesiness at what's going on. Certainly, once the killers have been uncovered there's a huge misstep in the way in which the filmmakers pause their movie and take ten minutes out, in excruciating detail, to reveal how their twist came out. And from that point in, the predictable survival antics ring slightly hollow.

Until that point, your enjoyment of the movie depends on how caught up you are in the mystery and how much you like the actors. I found Steve Zahn to be out of his depth in a non-comedy, and Milla Jovovich to be as shrill and annoying as ever. But Timothy Olyphant more than makes up for that with a truly great turn as a charismatic ex-forces guy with a metal plate in his head. Olyphant's kooky performance bests sums up this movie's quirky atmosphere and his presence alone is worth an extra star.

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.