Saturday, March 31, 2007

Perfect Crime, The (El Crimen Perfecto)


"The Perfect Crime" is a fun blend of dark humor, slapstick with some of the basic elements of a crime thriller. It's a film that was nominated in multiple categories at the Goya Awards, the Oscars of Spain. Unlike Pedro Almodovar's similarly themed "Volver", which I enjoyed as well, "Perfect Crime" takes a much more manic approach to the covering up of a murder.

Rafael Gonzalez (Guillermo Toledo) is a hotshot living life in the fast lane. His slick backed hair, well-tailored suits, and a cocky raised eyebrow say all you need to know about him. If he sees something he wants, he takes it. As an example, Rafael makes out with a random woman he passes by while crossing the street. Rafael is a top salesperson and the man in charge of the ladieswear section of the ritzy Yeyo's department store. Being the boss, Rafael makes sure his department is full of beautiful salesgirls, and, yes, he has engaged in romantic trysts with all of them. Many times in the store itself. At one point, Rafael and a blond bombshell stay in the store after hours and turn it into their own personal Disneyland. They procure champagne, lobster, and fancy outfits from throughout the store, before having sex in the children's furniture department.

Rafael claims to have been born within that very store when his mother went into labor while shopping. The store is akin to Rafael's Shangri-La, a place far away from the rest of the mundane world. This little paradise of Rafael's comes crashing down when he's passed over for a promotion by his archrival, Antonio (Luis Varela), the head of menswear. An argument in the changing rooms turns violent and Rafael accidentally kills Antonio. Panicking, Rafael tries to hide the body and finds unlikely help in the form of the somewhat homely Lourdes (Monica Cervera).

Not nearly as pretty as the other salesgirls, Lourdes has been ignored by Rafael for almost a decade, but has constantly carried a red-hot, burning torch for him. Lourdes covers up for Rafael in exchange for finally getting her hooks into him. Meanwhile, Rafael finds himself in the last place he ever wanted, on the road to marriage.

"Perfect Crime" is full of black comedy and bizarre gags. A dead and sickly green Antonio appears to Rafael offering him advice while wearing outfits from whatever department that's nearby. Another surreal moment finds Rafael dining with Lourdes' family. Her father spends his life inexplicably in a deep slumber, her little sister is a foul-mouthed child claiming to have been impregnated by her gym coach, and the mother is the happy homemaker in heavy denial. Other times, the film's humor is a little more low-key such as Rafael renting a film also called, "The Perfect Crime", only to find it's mislabeled, "The Nerfect Crime." None of these moments made me laugh out loud, however. I'd say I was more mildly amused.

The film features the standard sequence where the characters clumsily try to secret the corpse away and attempt to dispose it. In the case of "Perfect Crime", they try to chop it up and stuff it into a far too tiny furnace. What sets "Perfect Crime" apart from other films of the same ilk, is that the rest of the film isn't only about the main characters worrying about being caught. They aren't just looking over their shoulders for the cops. Instead, the story takes a clever turn by showing what life is like for Lourdes and Rafael as a couple. Obviously, Rafael is suffocated by his ultra-possessive paramour. He might not be enjoying himself, but Lourdes is. She exuberantly begins to climb out of her shell. With an animal's lust, she ravishes a helpless Rafael. She even convinces Rafael to fire the beautiful salesgirls, replacing them with uglier ones. Guess what? Sales actually increase as the customers are far more confident around the homely employees.

The final act of the film takes another turn as Rafael unfurls an elaborate plan to finally rid himself from the clutches of Lourdes. It isn't quite as good as the rest of the film, plus the ending leaves a couple of plot holes in its wake.

"The Perfect Crime" is a fun blend of dark humor, slapstick with some of the basic elements of a crime thriller. It's a film that was nominated in multiple categories at the Goya Awards, the Oscars of Spain. Unlike Pedro Almodovar's similarly themed "Volver", which I enjoyed as well, "Perfect Crime" takes a much more manic approach to the covering up of a murder.

Rafael Gonzalez (Guillermo Toledo) is a hotshot living life in the fast lane. His slick backed hair, well-tailored suits, and a cocky raised eyebrow say all you need to know about him. If he sees something he wants, he takes it. As an example, Rafael makes out with a random woman he passes by while crossing the street. Rafael is a top salesperson and the man in charge of the ladieswear section of the ritzy Yeyo's department store. Being the boss, Rafael makes sure his department is full of beautiful salesgirls, and, yes, he has engaged in romantic trysts with all of them. Many times in the store itself. At one point, Rafael and a blond bombshell stay in the store after hours and turn it into their own personal Disneyland. They procure champagne, lobster, and fancy outfits from throughout the store, before having sex in the children's furniture department.

Rafael claims to have been born within that very store when his mother went into labor while shopping. The store is akin to Rafael's Shangri-La, a place far away from the rest of the mundane world. This little paradise of Rafael's comes crashing down when he's passed over for a promotion by his archrival, Antonio (Luis Varela), the head of menswear. An argument in the changing rooms turns violent and Rafael accidentally kills Antonio. Panicking, Rafael tries to hide the body and finds unlikely help in the form of the somewhat homely Lourdes (Monica Cervera).

Not nearly as pretty as the other salesgirls, Lourdes has been ignored by Rafael for almost a decade, but has constantly carried a red-hot, burning torch for him. Lourdes covers up for Rafael in exchange for finally getting her hooks into him. Meanwhile, Rafael finds himself in the last place he ever wanted, on the road to marriage.

"Perfect Crime" is full of black comedy and bizarre gags. A dead and sickly green Antonio appears to Rafael offering him advice while wearing outfits from whatever department that's nearby. Another surreal moment finds Rafael dining with Lourdes' family. Her father spends his life inexplicably in a deep slumber, her little sister is a foul-mouthed child claiming to have been impregnated by her gym coach, and the mother is the happy homemaker in heavy denial. Other times, the film's humor is a little more low-key such as Rafael renting a film also called, "The Perfect Crime", only to find it's mislabeled, "The Nerfect Crime." None of these moments made me laugh out loud, however. I'd say I was more mildly amused.

The film features the standard sequence where the characters clumsily try to secret the corpse away and attempt to dispose it. In the case of "Perfect Crime", they try to chop it up and stuff it into a far too tiny furnace. What sets "Perfect Crime" apart from other films of the same ilk, is that the rest of the film isn't only about the main characters worrying about being caught. They aren't just looking over their shoulders for the cops. Instead, the story takes a clever turn by showing what life is like for Lourdes and Rafael as a couple. Obviously, Rafael is suffocated by his ultra-possessive paramour. He might not be enjoying himself, but Lourdes is. She exuberantly begins to climb out of her shell. With an animal's lust, she ravishes a helpless Rafael. She even convinces Rafael to fire the beautiful salesgirls, replacing them with uglier ones. Guess what? Sales actually increase as the customers are far more confident around the homely employees.

The final act of the film takes another turn as Rafael unfurls an elaborate plan to finally rid himself from the clutches of Lourdes. It isn't quite as good as the rest of the film, plus the ending leaves a couple of plot holes in its wake.

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