Kiele Sanchez

Posts Tagged ‘Marley Shelton and Chris Hemsworth’

A Perfect Getaway, DVD USA Release

A PERFECT GETAWAY with Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Timothy Olyphant Kiele Sanchez , Marley Shelton and Chris Hemsworth. Directed by David Twohy.

A PERFECT Getaway, not to be confused with the 1998 Armand Mastroianni film The Perfect Getaway, is a beautifully shot but ultimately prosaic thriller, which while not exactly predictable, will leave you muttering “oh, get on with it already”.

What could be more blissful for newlyweds Cliff (Steve Zahn) and Cydney (Milla Jovovich) than a tropical honeymoon on a remote Hawaiian island.

Forget cocktails on a tourist beach – Nerdy Hollywood screenwriter Cliff and apparently naive goody two-shoes Cydney are keen for a more authentic experience– hiking along the wild and rugged coastline of a remote archipelago

While driving through the lush subtropical countryside on the way to start the trail in their luxury jeep the couple refuses to give a lift to two skanky pseudo-hippies – Kale (Chris Hemsworth) and Cleo (Marley Shelton), which angers the tall and menacing Kale – a really scary looking character – could this be the mistake of their young lives? In fact the theme of affluence and ostentation comes up often in A perfect Getaway and the theme of jealousy is used to drive the plot.

Later the bumbling city slickers encounter Nick (Timothy Olyphant) and Gina, (Kiele Sanchez) two zany but kind free spirits who help guide them through the jungles and tricky cliff crossing. Nick – it turns out – is a special forces vet and as Gina quips – “is very hard to kill.”

After some flirtatious skinny dipping amid the inviting pools and waterfalls of this island paradise, things take a decidedly darker turn as the Cliff and Cydney learn of a gruesome murder that has recently been committed on an adjacent island. And the police believe the murderers – another couple – are heading this way. Of course the hikers are about to lose cell reception … and thus all contact with the outside world.

While it does deliver a powerful twist-in-the tail, the plot is just too full of holes to ignore and the dialogue and character development is sadly lacking.

The best thing about A Perfect Getaway is the absolutely breathtaking scenery with its ragged bluffs, perfect beaches, lush jungle and sparkling waterfalls. (Does a sensuous, scantily-clad Jovovich and buffed-up, mostly shirtless Olyphant count as scenery?)

Timothy Olyphant at KieleSanchez.com

Timothy Olyphant x Kiele Sanchez have the American Spirit in A Perfect Getaway!

The Film starts with a couple, Cliff and Cydney Anderson, honeymooning on the Hawaiian Islands.  While taking in the scenery of the great outdoors during an 11-mile nature trek across one of the islands, they come across a group of girls who have just learned that there have been some murders on the islands and that the killers have yet to be caught.  Fearing that it might be the abrasive couple that they didn’t give a ride to and is now on the same hike that they are on, they decide to continue on with another couple, Nick and Gina.  However, the idea of “safety in numbers” starts to seem fallible as paranoia sets in and everyone starts to become suspicious of everyone else, changing the hike into a game of “everyone’s a suspect.”

Starting with hand held footage from the wedding, this film quickly puts the viewer on their guard.  After all, beginning a film of this genre with something as happy and nostalgic as a wedding video can never be a good sign for the characters involved.  Then the story picks up with the couple in a really beautiful part of Hawaii (and Puerto Rico if you are keeping track of actual shooting locations) that’s sunny and romantic, yet creepy thanks to the surrounding dense greenery with iffy cell phone reception.  By keeping the footage shot mainly to the daytime, the story becomes slightly more off-putting and uncomfortable thanks to the sunshine mixed with the potential for brutality like with what has been done in The Ruins and Lost.

Though the setting and how the film is shot adds a lot to the overall feel of the film, most of the creepy factor actually comes from the characters themselves.  Though there are a few obvious standouts as to who can be suspected of being murderers, this film is full of potential red herrings.  First there is the above-mentioned couple, Cleo and Kale (Marley Shelton and Chris Hemsworth), who appear to be stalking Cliff and Cydney and seem to have enough anger issues to kill someone over not being given a ride.  Then there is Nick and Gina (Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez), whose hospitality mixed with death-defying wild stories makes them a prime contender for the murderous couple as well.  But then after the main couples are assessed, there are plenty of other characters to start to wonder about, and every action and word spoken becomes a potential clue as to the killers’ identities.  Every glace becomes suspicious, and at one point I was even willing to throw the group of girls from the beginning of the film into the suspect pot.  In other words, everyone is a suspect, and it is easy to spend every moment trying to piece what is really happening together until the murderers are revealed.  And though this revelation may not be that surprising once it finally enters out into the open, it is still deserved because of all the work up to that point.  But I will say the flashback scene following is a little much and drags on longer than it should, sticking out like a soar thumb thanks to the monotonous use of blue throughout its entirety.

The “who-done-it” element is one of the best parts of the film thanks to the cast being filled with actors capable of great performances, with Olyphant’s portrayal of the off kilter war vet being a highlight.  Plus, the film warrants as many cheers as it does “ugh! Don’t do that!” cries because these characters obviously don’t always show the best decision making for the type of film they find themselves in.  But with its minor flaws, A Perfect Getaway remains an entertaining thriller that keeps you reassessing what you know the whole time.

Final Grade: A-