The Perfect Man
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: C Film: C
The phenomenon of Hillary Duff is amazing, because there
is no substantial reason she is popular except that she has been a star since
childhood and enough of a fan base grew to keep her commercially viable. Whether she will become more important in
anything she does later is a longshot, but her backers will keep plugging away
until things take in some more permanent way before she possibly outgrows her
fans. The Perfect Man (2005) is a
theatrical film that is part of that campaign, which did nothing at the
box-office and is no more than a silly telefilm with a larger budget.
The title screams “women who love too much” and you don’t
need Dr. Freud to explain the dysfunctionality, implications and many problems,
issues and luggage that accompanies that.
Hiring able-bodied heather Locklear does not change this, even further
complicating and covering up the darker side of this candy-coated mess. No one, including girls too young to be worrying
about men when they need to get an education, can seem to find the title
male. This is impossible, but a
restaurant owner (Chris Noth) is a close match to expectations (read sugar
daddy or male bimbo) that might give some closure to a situation that will
never have any.
The result is a really, really bad film, so bad that it is
campy in ways the producers did not intend.
Feminists would have a field day with this one, while the rest of us
will be bored, save die hard Duff fans.
This is a stunning piece of excessive fluff, but far from the candy
coated innocence it tries to fain. It
is either too stupid (I doubt that) or up to no good as a vehicle that teaches
young ladies to NOT be independent. The
ugly legacy of Garry Marshall’s Pretty Woman (1990) remains.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is surprisingly
soft for a new production, even one aimed at women. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is obnoxious with its surrounds and has to
pump up the sound to cover its flaws and distract from its more disturbing
intents. The combination is lame. Extras include ironic outtakes and deleted
scenes, a couple of featurettes and trailers.
Enough already.
- Nicholas Sheffo
