© (C) 2009 THE PERFECT SLEEP

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Movie Review: 'THE PERFECT SLEEP'

An ode to the good old days of moody filmmaking and violence

Grade: A-
Stars: Anton Pardoe, Roselyn Sanchez, Patrick Bauchau, Peter J. Lucas, Tony Amendola, Sam Thakur, Dominiquie Vandenberg, Cameron Daddo
Writer(s): Anton Pardoe
Director: Jeremy Alter
Rating: R

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By CARLOS DELGADO, Contributing Writer
Published 3/13/2009

It’s called THE PERFECT SLEEP, a decidedly dark film that opens Friday, March 13, by director Jeremy Alter and writer Anton Pardoe. What can you expect from this film? Well, despite the title, don’t expect a warm and fuzzy film that gently rocks you to bed. Filmed in classic noir style, THE PERFECT SLEEP is the brutal journey of a man known only as The Narrator (Anton Pardoe) as he returns to a city he forgot long ago to save the one person he loves: the lovely Porphyria played by Roselyn Sanchez.

Adopted and raised together under the watchful eye of Nikolai (Patrick Bauchau), The Narrator and Porphyria grow up as living reminders of past wrongs committed by their parents. The Narrator finally returns after years in exile to set things right for Porphyria. Along the way he gets bashed up, beaten down, and left for dead several times, only to find a way to get up and kill his assailers.

Let me warn you again, folks. This is not a family film. I’m not exaggerating when I say The Narrator gets the living snot kicked out of him. It’s violence as an art form. Think of it as an ode to film noir, where the lead is supposed to get crushed on a regular basis. Overwhelming odds are part of the job for The Narrator. There’s no redemption for him, no hope of going home. This is a one way ticket to the most beautifully shot version of hell you can imagine.

The visuals truly are the counterpoint to the impressive amount of violence shown. The cinematography, in a word, is simply stunning. I know that’s two words, but that’s how surprisingly breathtaking they are. Style is the word of the day. True to its noir roots, every scene THE PERFECT SLEEP is dark and moody, exquisitely thought out to deliver dramatic punch.

Add to that the props and costumes and you feel like your back in the ‘40s. Brim hats, dark suits, classic cars, the works. Yet the film is not set anywhere near the ‘40s. Night vision scopes, video game references, and other such cues give that away. The result leaves the viewer in a surreal world you’re sure can’t exist. The beating the Narrator takes also reminds you that this absolutely can’t be real. But hey, we’re watching a movie, and that’s part of the movie watching deal.

Expect some memorable performances from the cast. Padoe bravely takes on the role as The Narrator, getting brutalized more times than I can count. Thank goodness for stunt doubles, eh? Sanchez is heartbreaking. Porphyria wants nothing but a normal life, but she knows what the cost of such a wish will be. Watching her struggle to have the best of both worlds earns her a place in the viewer’s heart. My personal favorite, however, was the brief but profoundly disturbing appearance of Tony Amendola. His portrayal of the psychotic Dr. Sebastian is both engaging and yet extremely disturbing. Watching him calmly talk his victims into death still makes me shudder.

The locations truly shine as pivotal components of THE PERFECT SLEEP. Locales like the iconic BradburyBuilding and Los AngelesCity Hall make prominent appearances in the movie. The Bradbury becomes almost a character in it of itself, serving as the source of so much of the sorrow that fills the movie. Its history (which is the actual true story of the Bradbury) is painfully recollected, adding to the tragedy that eventually plays out there. In a visually astounding movie, the locations really just blow you away.

Like all movies, sound is a key element as well. David Vanian, lead singer of THE DAMNED, does a fine job in scoring his first full length feature film. His music is effective without being cheap or cheesy. He never goes overboard, and he never takes away from a scene. The pacing matches the movie step for step, which is quite an accomplishment for any film.

The Narrator’s thoughts are voiced throughout the entire film, even during intense battles sequences. They reminded me of reading old comics, something along the lines of like Frank Miller’s Batman. Unrelenting narrative is something that most people absolutely love or absolutely hate. Me personally, I’m a tough guy who likes my films 86 proof. But then again, it is nice to hear why a man would lap up gasoline from the ground.

THE PERFECT SLEEP is a world that doesn’t exist, a nice escape from the run of the mill comic book action movies that have been plaguing our theaters in recent years. The reward is a visual landscape that has you wondering why noir remains a thing of the past. Is style, well, out of style? Not in this film. It’s Style with a capital S.

Reader Comments

David from Los Angeles sez....
I really Enjoyed the Movie I have watched it 5 Times. This is a must see.I have seen a lot Of Jeremy Alters work he just keeps impressing me.Keep up the Good work and let's watch pardoe get his butt kicked in the Sequel!!!!!!!!
4/17/2010 9:53:56 AM

JKC from Norwalk, CT sez....
Garbage - Anton is a moron who took his comic book reading a little too far.. "I've never been dead yet" WTF??? Can only guess that the idiot that wrote it kept a diary and pulled his favorite lines out and stuck them in where he saw fit. We want our money back - oh yes we didn't pay any money to see it thank God. English is obviously not Anton's 1st language. This movie is amateur night right out of film school. Visually - it's fine, but Anton Pardoe should be pumping gas for a living and learning English along the way. The film was horrendous
6/16/2009 7:59:34 PM

Juanita from Artesia sez....
Its nothin great. Its actually really pretentious. This guy walk out, that's sad. My boyfriend and I drove far up to see it and there was no Roselyn Sanchez (we are big fans of hers) as advertised. Not even the other actors or director showed up. Thats false advertisement and we won't be supporting any movies with Roselyn Sanchez, Jeremy Atlar, or anybody else from this movie again.
3/24/2009 10:49:32 PM

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