Plot Summary  

Richard (Ryan Gosling) and Justin (Michael Pitt) are intelligent, but very bored teenage students. Richard is out-going and manipulative while Justin is highly intelligent and introverted. They both have very wealthy parents who have little time for their sons. Richard and Justin decide to carryout a murder just to see if they can get away with it. After some meticulous research and planning they select a victim at random to try and commit the “perfect” murder.

When Cassie Mayweather (Sandra Bullock), the crime-scene specialist starts investigating the murder she begins to think that something doesn’t quite add up. Some clues suggest a crime of passion while others suggest a carefully planned murder...

  Rating  

3 STARS

Worth a watch.

  Main Cast  

Sandra Bullock is Crime-scene specialist Cassie Mayweather

Ben Chaplin is Cassie's Detective partner

Ryan Gosling is Richard

Michael Pitt is Justin

  Review  

The idea of the “perfect murder” is interesting, if not original, and this detective-murder-thriller while interesting from start to finish is let down, a little, by some unlikely parts and some overused ideas. The most obvious cliché is the policewoman-detective feuding with her new partner, colleagues and superintendent. On a hunch Cassie Mayweather (Sandra Bullock) suspects the two students of murder but of course nobody believes her! Nothing new there! The ending lacks a little drama and the final “twist” comes across as an after thought and seems a little rushed as if just “fitted in” at the end.

However the movie moves along at a good pace without dawdling at any stage. The story manages to hold the interest as it unfolds and there is also a little intrigue surrounding Cassie’s past as a subplot just to give a little more depth to the character.

Sandra Bullock does quite well in her role that is a little more “serious” than most of her movies.  Ben Chapman who plays her detective partner doesn’t get much of a look in and his character is a little “wimpy” to be a “love interest” for the headstrong Cassie. Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt are both good as the ”murder-for-fun” teenagers.

In spite of its flaws it’s still a good solid thriller that’s worth-a-watch.

Reviewed by Niall Quinn

  Director  

Barbet Schroeder

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