A Perfect Murder

A Perfect Murder is a 1998 American crime thriller film directed by Andrew Davis and starring Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Viggo Mortensen. It is a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film Dial M for Murder, though the characters' names have been changed and much of the plot has been rewritten and altered from its original form. Loosely based on the play by Frederick Knott, the screenplay was written by Patrick Smith Kelly. Plot Wall Street financier Steven Taylor is married to the much younger Emily. When his risky personal investments start unraveling, he intends to access Emily's $100 million fortune to cover his losses. Meanwhile, Emily considers leaving Steven while having an affair with artist David Shaw. Steven arrives at David's studio the next day. He reveals that he knows about the affair and has uncovered David's real identity as Winston Lagrange, an ex-convict who cons rich women. Steven pressures David into murdering Emily for $500,000. Steven takes Emily's housekey and hides it outside the service entrance to their lavish Manhattan co-op apartment. David is to use the key to enter the apartment, kill her, and make it look like a robbery. At his weekly card game, Steven takes a break and uses his cellphone to make a call to an automated bank system, adding to his alibi, while using a second phone to call Emily. Emily answers in the kitchen and is attacked by a masked assailant, but stabs him in the neck with a meat thermometer. Steven returns expecting Emily to be dead, but finds the assailant's body. He takes the key from the body, puts it back on Emily's keychain then damages the service entrance door and plants a screwdriver on the assailant. Police arrive, led by Detective Moe Karaman. They remove the assailant's mask, the body is not David's. Still losing money, Steven receives a call from David, who plays an audio tape of the two discussing the plan to kill Emily. They agree to meet at a local deli, where David demands the full $500,000 or he will turn Steven in.