A Perfect Getaway

Unsure of my feelings about this film, I decided to interview myself in an effort to come to a final decision.

Q Hello, me. How am I today?
A A little stiff in the shoulders, actually.

Q Did I enjoy watching A Perfect Getaway?
A Yes.

Q Did I like the movie?
A Uh, pass.

Q But David Twohy made other movies I really love.
A Yes, that's true.

Q Like Pitch Black and Riddick.
A I know.

Q And Warlock.
A [menacing silence]

Q Why don't I tell me a little about the film?
A Steve Zhan and Milla Jojovitch--

Q Both of whom I like.
A Don't interrupt. Steve Zhan and Milla Jojovitch are a married couple on their honeymoon in Hawaii when they learn about a double murder on a neighbouring island. They begin to suspect their new friends Timothy Olyphant and his girlfriend are the killers.

Q That's it?
A No, but that's the main thing.

Q So what's the problem?
A Well...Steve Zhan is a screenwriter and Timothy Olyphant keeps telling him how to write a movie, like he's Robert McKee. He's talking all this crap about red herrings and twists.

Q And we all know how I feel about postmodernism in film.
A No, that's not it. I mean yeah, but no. The film pretty much tells you in the simplest of terms how the movie's going to play out. You'd have to be stupid not to know what's coming. I mean you don't know all the details, but there are few surprises.

Q I still don't really understand why I'm confused.
A Well, in spite of the expositionary dialogue, the story does some strange things that aren't accounted for. I don't know if it's David Twohy fucking with McKee or what, but at the end the focus shifts from Steve Zhan and Milla Jojovitch to Timothy Olyphant and his girlfriend. It kinda makes no sense, because the story has been told solely from Steve and Milla's point of view and you're meant to identify and sympathize with them. Also, there are some questionable characterizations that I don't really agree with.

Q With which I don't really agree.
A Seriously?

Q Anyway, it seems that I liked it overall but was a little put off by the end.
A Yeah. Yes. That's it exactly. I mean, it's kind of funny at times, how the movie points out how movies work, how stories are told. I liked that. But the end is just so...I don't know. Unexpected, I guess. In a bad way. I think if you were going to mess with your audience like this film tries to do, you'd maybe set up things a bit differently. I don't want to say the film tries and fails to defy expectations, but I think it cheats a bit at creating mystery and intrigue. Whether that's intentional or not, I don't know. But there is one fantastically edited chase scene. So on the whole, I'd say it was pretty good.

Q Better than Warlock?
A You're going to regret that.

Q Me. I mean, I'm going to regret that.
A Yes, I am.