The Perfect Wife (2001)

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

This movie is like most of the Lifetime "he/she seems nice but is really a psychopath" types that are entertaining and good for a laugh. There are some familiar Lifetime actors, including Shannon Sturges, who overdoes her phony sweetness, and Perry King and William R. Moses, both probably underrated because of their association with Lifetime movies. Michelle Greene adds spice in the scene outside the kitchen at the brother's funeral. I just wonder, since there are no goofs listed, if anyone else wondered, in one of the movie's early scenes, why Greta the housekeeper is complaining that the new wife has been mistreating her for three months, when the happy couple has returned from their honeymoon just minutes ago.

I found this movie to be adequate as a thriller but it did keep my attention. Shannon was a good actress and played the part of Leah/Liza well. I really liked Perry King, even though he was so smitten that he was clueless. Lesley-Anne Down was excellent as always ... Greta was a key player and it was ridiculous that no one except Helen would believe her.However, I would have changed the ending ... I would have had her die from the gunshot ... she was poison incarnate and what goes around should come around ... she left a lot of people dead in her wrath and misguided actions ... But then "he is a doctor" so that would have been the right thing to do.

Seems some made for TV movies are enjoyable. Yes, the husband is a bit of a dim bulb but Perry King doesn't overplay his naivete. In fact, that's a large part of the movie's appeal. No one overacts. Music is kept to a minimum. The plot is driven by competent acting on all parts. Good mystery. Will have you rooting for the good guy to win.

THE PERFECT WIFE was pretty suspenseful for a television movie. Shannon Sturges made one bitchy psycho, and Perry King was good as her husband. It had a lot of tension, but it was sometimes hard to watch because the husband was so oblivious to what she was doing. At times I just couldn't believe he was missing things and would yell things out to him, as if it would help. But that's what a good thriller does, making us care about the person who's the victim even though they themselves don't know they are. A tad slow at times, but the final hour was pretty tense, and the performances helped sell the standard revenge plot. Not bad for a TV movie.