Perfect Host, The (2010)
*** (out of 4)
Two-bit criminal John Taylor (Clayne Crawford) pulls off a bank robbery but soon his name and picture are all over the news so he must find a place to hide for the night. He thinks he finds the perfect victim when he gets into the house of Warwick Wilson (David Hyde Pierce) but the robber soon realizes he's not the most dangerous person at this party. That's pretty much all the story anyone needs to know because there are so many twists and turns throughout the 93-minutes that knowing anything more would really take away many of the shocks. I must admit that I went into this movie not really knowing what to expect and when the end credits came up I immediately wanted to start telling people that this is a movie they should certainly check out. I think it's clear that the movie wants to be another THE USUAL SUSPECTS because there is just one twist after another and the movie does a terrific job making the viewer feel off their guard because you never quite know where the film is going and once you figure it out it just takes another turn to throw you. I thought what really made the film special is that the direction by Nick Tomnay just keeps the twists and turns coming at almost a poetic rate because there's a certain beauty to how everything plays out and it's really as if you're seeing some tango take place in front of your eyes. Everything is so well laid out in his screenplay that you really do feel as if you're watching something special take place even though there are a few flaws that I'll get to in a bit. Another major plus for me is that the film starts off with Crawford as the bad guy and Pierce as the good guy but throughout the movie they trade places and yet you can enjoy both characters. I enjoyed that we've got a film with only two characters and you can hate and like them and usually both within the matter of minutes. Crawford is extremely good in the more laid back role of the criminal and I thought he did a very good job with the role and especially when it was time for the events that happens to his character (again, I won't spoil them here). The real stand out is clearly David Hyde Pierce who is simply wonderful in the role. His character does so many odd things but Pierce makes you believe everything you're seeing and the amount of charm, charisma and personality that he brings to the film really makes this character his very own. While watching the performance it becomes clear that he's the only person in the world who could have played it. The film builds up some nice suspense throughout and I really enjoyed the rather unnerving way all the secrets get revealed. Horror fans will enjoy some of the black humor, which includes a hilarious piece involving the Gil Man from CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. The film's major flaw is that there are a few too many twists and turns in the final ten minutes. With that said, THE PERFECT HOST is sadly going to get overlooked with all the blockbusters out there but hopefully people will give the film a chance as it's certainly a good little gem.
