I had the very special opportunity to preview the The Perfect Host DVD, starring David Hyde Pierce (Fraiser) and Clayne Crawford (A Walk to Remember). If you like really twisted psychological mystery thrillers, then this is the movie for you- but be warned, you’ll never look at a dinner party the same way again!
Australian director Nick Tomnay has elaborated on his 2001 short The Host into a full-length feature, which has given Pierce a platform to explore the darker side of his range as an actor, beyond the four-time Emmy winning role of Dr. Niles Crane, who we all recognize from TV’s Frasier.
In what starts off as a seemingly typical crime setup, we learn that John Taylor (played by Crawford) is a wanted bank robber who’s just trying to get by. With well-placed flashback scenes, we discover that despite the unusual circumstance of John arriving at the house of Warwick Wilson (Pierce), we suspect that maybe John isn‘t such the bad guy that law enforcement reports make him out to be.
All signs point to a hostage situation when John poses as a mutual friend to Warwick, who’s very methodically preparing a dinner party in his posh house. However, the tables quickly turn as we see that Warwick’s unconventional behavior, obsessive compulsive habits, and seemingly nerdy persona are just a cover for the very layered and twisted mind that puts John in a very vulnerable position.
Did I like the movie? Parts of it. Pierce was made to play this role, without a doubt. Warwick could, at any moment, gauge out your eyes with a carving knife and then burst into a musical number as though his living room was a Broadway stage. Crawford reveals his character’s street smarts with perfect timing, just when you think Warwick has the upper hand.
Tomnay cleverly delivers Warwick in one way, but the surprises keep on coming as dominating roles continue to switch back and forth. Warwick’s “guests” arrive for the party as the suspense, violence, and entertainment do not stop. Just when you wonder where it’s all going, John begins to figure out just how demented Warwick truly is and survival is just a matter of playing the game of life a little bit better than the other.
Without giving too much away, what I didn’t like about the movie is that at one point, the psychological thriller reverts to a crime drama as we learn more about the complications of John’s love life and his motive for robbing the bank. Because there’s just so much going on during the first half of the movie, the film forces its viewer to question what they think is real and what may be imagined on behalf of John or Warwick because of some sort of drug-inducement.
Later on in the film, it was almost as if I was watching a second, separate movie that continues the journey of these characters who just can‘t get rid of each other even in the vast arena of the outside world. When you have a plot that centers so heavily around one setting, like in Warwick’s very metro sexual home, it’s not often that we get to see what happens to the character(s) beyond that setting, like how they function the morning after, and how they may move on from such a crazy experience.
Briefly, I’ll also add (without spoiling) that even though both John and Warwick are fighting and competing to win against the other, it’s even more confusing that Tomnay hints that Warwick’s story could still peak even more by the time the ending credits roll.
The DVD includes special features that show the evolution of Tomnay’s black and white short, The Host, and how the development of The Perfect Host pays homage to the original idea. The in-depth and behind-the-scenes look celebrates the dynamic and chemistry between the well-to-do Warwick and career criminal John, offering key points that help a viewer understand the director‘s motivation for blocking certain scenes and creating an evocative forum that walks the line of life or death.
Would I watch this movie again? No. It’s just not my kind of film. The story does stay with you and make you think after you watch it, especially when met with the lonesome hurricane-induced lack of electricity of your powerless home that same weekend.
My overall grade for this would be a 6/10. It has many of the right intentions for a twisted thriller, but meanders too far away from its strongest moments. Better editing of the dinner party in the “first act” and stripping down the “second act” with the back-to-back action could have served to benefit the final composition.
The Perfect Host will be released on August 30th thanks to Magnolia Home Entertainment.
Recent Comments