The Perfect Guy Review

The Perfect Guy Review

Ok where do I start with this one hmmmmm. Let me just say it took me a couple days to write this review simply due to the fact the film is so easily forgettable it’s almost frightening. I have to say the trailer did an excellent job at building some type of anticipation for this film, myself being a Michael Ealy fan was looking forward to this, but with a PG13 rating I knew this would be better served for a Netflix night of boredom or a flipping through Directv and coming across it. If you haven’t seen the film, spoilers ahead, so you’ve been warned.

Before I jump fully into it, I have to say this film is not terrible, but there’s nothing here that hasn’t been seen before, actually I’ve seen true crime reenactments that were better. The first couple scenes of the film we become familiar with the characters, Leah played by Sanaa lathan is some type of lobbyist for a high powered firm, has a nice home nice car and she has Mr Morris Chestnut aka Dave as her bed-mate. Her very first morning off to work after some dialogue with Dave, she happens to run into Carter played by Michael Ealy at the coffee shop. Now this is a woman who just left her home, with her relationship partner in bed, but she’s at the coffee shop acting like a giddy school girl with a crush after Carter offered her his Iced-coffee and gave her the blue-eyed scowl. Fast forward to the event she so adamantly told Dave they would be attending that morning. Dave has a great chemistry with a kid at this home gathering, people have uncomfortable looks on their faces, this leads to an “I’m 36, not getting any younger argument” when the couple gets home, it escalates, Dave gives her his opinion on where he stands and Leah dismisses Dave from the premises.

Pause: At this point, the film seems rushed, choppy, lacking dialogue, lacking true character development, any type of chemistry and a weird type of editing which sees scenes just fading to black rather quickly

Fast forward a couple of months the lovely Leah is sitting at a bar, being hit on by some fat drunk white guy with a clear swirl fantasy. It’s at this point where the film begins a series of contradictions about levels of acceptable violence. In walks Mr Carter for the save, despite Leah being in somewhat control of the situation, Carter then pretends to be her boyfriend, apologizes for being late, compliments her, then steps to the guy asking “why are you still here, walk away!” A quick cut to Leah’s face shows that glee some women get when it shows a man can be firm in the protection of her person, but remember as I said earlier this is where the contradiction of acceptable violence begins.

Leah now pleased with her “hero” and of course recalling their rendezvous from the coffee shop believes she is not indebted to her knight in shining slacks and offers him a drink, he declines saying he’s just in the same place by sheer coincidence having drinks with work colleagues, he then leaves gives her his card…. end scene.
The next day Ms Leah receives a call from Carter which immediately brings a bright smile to her gorgeous face, when asked how he got her work number, he replies it’s 2015 I’m an IT expert blah blah…. she thinks nothing of this, the “romance begins”.

The following scene when Carter takes Leah to the club almost made me laugh my ass off in the cinema. He does his typical mysterious thing, takes her to a back alley entrance club playing loud reggae music, walks up to the bar and orders two beers and the beers were none other than Redstripe Beer can you be anymore cliché, what happens next can only be described as the worst one screen chemistry I have ever seen Sanaa Lathan display, all I can think of is she must be into dark skin guys, because she seem to have more chemistry with the dread head in AVP: Alien VS Predator then Carter, when they kissed is was so unbelievable and the club slow motion montage to the awkward club bathroom sex scene was just really, really weak. I get it’s a PG13 film so I get no titties and ass on display, but what the hell? Lifetime has more drama than this film.
Anyway next came more scenes of the stalker build up, like her being so comfortable with this new guy, she feels zero discomfort with showing him indirectly where her hide-a-key is located outside her house. Then the most pointless scene in the film, the introduction to her friends Karen (white) and Alicia (black) played by Rutina Wesley.

Sidenote: Maybe it’s just me of it just seem two beauties were not needed in the film since they seem to tone down Rutina’s natural beauty for the movie, I can’t put my finger on it, but she just looked un-kept and weird.

Anyway this scene was so pointless and awkward, Carter charmed the juices right out of them and had their Vicky secrets soaking wet, asking for dates with his relatives because apparently he passed their “perfect guy” test. Next comes a visit to meet the parents, yes Leah is so smitten with this Perfect Guy at this point she thinks it’s imperative that he goes with her to meet her parents for the fourth of July weekend. Mr charming as usual pleases the parents with a welcoming mom and then with undeniable bribe in the form of behind home plate baseball tickets to the dad, played by none other than Roc aka Charles S. Dutton. Carter is such a gentlemen, when they are placed in separate rooms while spending the weekend at the parents after Leah sneaks into his room for some late night slap and tickle, he dismisses her and says it’s your parents home. I mean really? c’mon that was borderline corny.

After a successful weekend of meet the parents on the trip home, they just happen to stop at a gas station to fill up that beast 1968 Black Dodge Charger, out comes a car enthusiast admiring the car and talking to Leah, while Carter’s anxiety builds at the register, no sooner than the guy ask to take a photo of the car, Carter appears from out of nowhere and severely whoops his ass until a shot-gun blast stops him in his tracks, all the while Leah is screaming at him to stop pummeling the car fan. The gas station attendant yells Get!! Carter turns to Leah and yells get in the car!! Needless to say at this point things become very awkward. Leah the same woman who was very impressed when Carter saved her from the drunk, overly enthusiastic guy from the bar with his show of violent propensity, now seems all withdrawn as if she had never in her life seen one man kick another man’s ass, ever in life. After the silent drive home and Carter’s reassurance that he will not hurt Leah, she is at the point of no return, she grabs her bag from the back seat, dismisses Carter and walks away as he scowl.

by the way I’ve never seen a black women travel for a weekend with just one medium size duffel bag even if that bag is LV

Commence the flip of Carter, now I’m not going to sit here and go through what else happens in the movie, the plot of his “stalkerism” tactics even as an IT expert were kinda lame, some time delayed cloaked emails and random house visits, killing the busy body neighbor, then killing Dave, which honestly Dave had coming with his punk ass, trying to be a hero in the bar and choking Carter after he reminded him that Leah was still thinking about the D.
So anyway there was no cliff hanger ending, even when Carter was “stopped by Leah”, under the advice of Mr Good Cop, there was no body disappearing additional suspense where did he go. He died they rolled his body out she looked like the woman who saved herself, credits rolled.

Question1: How does a successful IT expert live in a run down loft where his living room doubles as his garage?
Question2: How do you trail someone and they not notice you in their rear view mirror driving the very same car you know?
Question3: how do you have all that fancy house, great landscaping, nice Ikea furniture, but somehow don’t seem to have an extractor fan to clear the steam in the bathroom?
Question4: How do you drive a car and not recognize when you have a loose wheel, continue to drive after you discover there’s a grinding noise?
Question5: If your stalker has stopped stalking you, moved on, why would you then stalk him?

So bottom line, the person that wrote and directed this film, should never make another movie unless they work at Lifetime or OWN. it lacked depth, it lacked through stalker suspense, it lacked common sense in some areas, it became almost laughable. I doubt this film has done anything to expand the pedigree of Michael Ealy, it definitely will not be that role to propel his career although I think he should take on more villain roles he almost has that Prison Breakish scowl down!!