There would be little point in comparing this film to the Alfred Hitchcock classic other than to say that aside from the basic premise, they really are two completely different movies. So in this film, which can only loosely be called a remake, we get a very effective thriller with some dramatically strong performances by the three leads, particularly Michael Douglas who plays the bastard so well again (although perhaps not as memorably as he did in "Wall Street" although the character he plays here is remarkably similar). All of the characters at some level are scheming, even the genuine Gwyneth Paltrow who escapes with a lover whom she thinks wants to make her happy but is in fact a con.
One of the fascinating aspects of this film is that you're never 100% sure where it will go or who is really the bad guy. An example of this is the first confrontation between Michael Douglas and Viggo Mortensen. The scene is deliberately designed to make you feel that Douglas is the victim at the beginning of the scene when he pours out his anger over how Mortensen stole his 'crown jewel'. It goes further when Douglas reveals he did some research on Mortensen's character and found out he had been in jail for being a con. At this point you're thinking that Mortensen is scum but then the scene twists quite sharply when Douglas makes him an offer he can't refuse: to kill his wife for a large sum of money. It turns out Douglas thinks that a former criminal would be a perfect contract killer and Douglas uses this to his advantage by effectively blackmailing Mortensen in to doing it for some devious reason that we don't find out until much later in the film. It adds a layer of complexity to the film that makes you really appreciate not only the story telling but the strong acting on display by the actors involved. Gwyneth Paltrow also gets her chance to shine in scenes like this; for a good portion of the film she seems completely unaware to what's going on around her until she manages to catch out her husband in a strong scene at the end. And kudos to Michael Douglas, he gets to be the instigator of one of the scariest scenes in the film.
Watching the "perfect murder" unravel for Douglas' character is one of the joys of watching this film. His character is such a control freak that you can see the tension building dramatically as each new step makes the situation messier and messier. This leaves room for Mortensen to play Douglas against himself by threatening to tell the world about their plan (as Mortensen arranged for someone else to kill Paltrow). It's one of the strange situations where you feel compelled to keep watching Douglas and almost barracking for him, even though you also feel for Paltrow who is the real victim in all of this.
One of the major differences between the original Hitchcock film and this new version is that it's not bogged down in one location which actually makes the proceedings more visually interesting and entertaining. Mortensen for example is a painter who lives in a large loft, contrasting well with Douglas' high-powered office environment or the luxury condo that both he and Paltrow live in. Although Hitchcock wanted to represent the original play faithfully on the screen but not changing it, this addition of multiple locations certainly is a bonus. On the flip side, Douglas is essentially playing a more ruthless and less smirky version of Gordon Gecko from "Wall Street", right down to his business interests, financial setup, office, and the lengths he will go to to win. Perhaps something different could have been done there but it's not really a big thing.
This is a highly entertaining film that will keep you guessing right until the end.
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