The Perfect Guy
is competently made, and as I watched it I began to think that critics had
given the mildly amusing genre film a bad rap. Then days later I sat down to
write my thoughts on the film and found that the bland safety of the narrative
had left little impression on my mind. Forced to think about it, of course I
was able to remember what had happened, but this is definitely the type of
movie you are more likely to have memories of your experience watching the film
than anything in the narrative itself. My experience was moderately enjoyable,
despite being aware I was watching a film both predictable and generic to a
fault.
This latest in
the ‘sexy stalker’ thriller sub-genre may swap the typical gender expectations,
but it just ends up blending in with many other ‘women in danger’ narratives in
many other suspense films. Successful lobbyist Leah Vaughn (Sanaa Lathan)
breaks up with her boyfriend (Morris Chestnut in a completely useless role)
when he refuses to commit, so she begins dating a charming stranger she meets
at a coffee shop. Carter (Michael Ealy) seems like the perfect guy, winning
over Leah’s family and friends in record time. Everything is going perfectly
until Leah witnesses Carter’s violent side, appearing suddenly over petty
jealousy.
Leah quickly
attempts to cut ties with Carter, making him even more persistent in his
advances. Stalking elevates into intrusion, all remaining non-violent until
Leah decides to give her old boyfriend a second chance and this brings out
Carter’s jealous side. The final act resolves in a predictable show of female
empowerment against the aggressor, especially after the perfunctory scenes of
the police telling her they can’t help her. It is all fairly by-the-numbers, though
there are worse things to watch with a bowl of popcorn on a Saturday night.
The Blu-ray
release comes with a digital copy of the film, along with the extra included on
the disc. There is only a making-of featurette, every bit as generic as the
film itself. The featurette includes interviews with the cast.
Entertainment Value:
6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 2/10
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