The Perfect Guy - D

Rated PG-13, 100 minutes

The new thriller "The Perfect Guy" is far from the perfect. Dumb badly written and woefully misogynistic, this is essentially an urban "Fatal Attraction" with the roles switched. Successful lobbyist Leah Vaughn ("The Best Man's" Sanaa Lathan) jumps into a passionate relationship with a charming stranger, Carter (Michael Ealy). Later, a string of frightening events involving Carter convince Leah that she is in danger and when her former boy friend (Morris Chestnut of the upcoming TV show "Rosewood") surfaces, she must choose who she will stay with. Directed by David Rosenthal ("A Single Shot") and written by Tyger Williams, "The Perfect Guy" has an attractive cast but is so silly, lame and predictable that you will figure out way before its really dumb climax. All three actors have done better before, and it's unfortunate that the lovely Lathan and Chestnut, such appealing co-stars in the rom com "The Best Man" but given little to do here, and I hated the unfortunate plot twists in this movie regarding Chestnut's character, who's supposed to be the good guy here. It's so easy and obvious early on that things are gonna go South very quickly, and it was also obvious to me that Ealy's role as co-producer of the film would have him take on the meatier role; I also don't understand why the characters had to do such stupid things as walking alone late at night in a parking garage though they're fully aware they're being stalked - go figure. Aside from the engaging actors, who really try to make this work, "The Perfect Guy" is a silly, unsatisfying mess, and not worth your time. Far, far from perfect.