The Perfect Score (2004)

The greatest movie ever!

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Well, "The Perfect Score" is a very unknown movie in my country, and for some reason I decided watching it last afternoon. I'm just out of words to express how impressed it got me. From the get go, the story feels entertaining and different from mainstream pictures, especially when it comes to such young characters and subject. The cast is very charming, given that every actor/actress has its own beauty, which creates more connection with the young audience. But, what made me notice I was seeing a professional film, was the GREAT acting coming from everywhere, mainly from the two male leads. I wouldn't ever expect such ability in an unpretentious story like this. Also, characters aren't portrayed as the extreme clichés Hollywood usually follow; for instance, the Japanese guy is a pothead in here, instead of a studying genius. "Because I Got High" song made me laugh every time Roy was caught smoking. In fact, the whole soundtrack feels cool, showing the best of early 2000's pop/punk, with artists like American-HiFi and Simple Plan. The only let down was the predictable character of Matthew Lillard, who ALWAYS play the stupid guy. But, all in all, "The Perfect Score" proves to be everything a teenager might expect from a high school themed movie, without even appealing to be a drug inciter, so it has my recommendation for sure.

Of COURSE this is not Gone With the Wind or The Godfather or Apocalypse Now, it's a teen flick and I find it absolutely hilarious, and vastly underrated by some very snobbish commentary I've read.First, please understand that this reviewer is several things: A BIG movie buff capable of separating movies into genres and mental compartments rather than comparing apples to oranges in boneheaded fashion, I am not finished watching the DVD yet (it's on pause, but...I do that: watch and simultaneously check out IMDb, part of the fun), I'm utterly enamored of the freshness of this film. So far. But I've already had more laughs than I've had a long time (watching a slew of flicks where great actors were hired to do dreck with no apparent motivation).I'm also a high school dropout, a college dropout (which means I've taken various tests of achievement and intelligence, the GED, the SATs and various other limiting, mind control efforts); fortunately I am now several decades old, and well beyond the reach of the academia nuts who currently crank our future fellow citizens out like Twinkies; i.e., old enough to have seen their results.Hence, I get the premise, and I love these characters. I find this film vastly more entertaining than any Ocean's XX movie made after the Rat Pack got it right the first time. This is more fun than Hackers (and since I also spent years at IBM, yes, I loved that one, too; but I'm giving this a ten for the acting, the story, and the fresh handling of the genre).If it disappoints in the end, I may come back and rate it again, but for now I'm laughing my ass off. Great commentary on our educational "bubble" system, great fun with each of the characters. (Especially Roy, I eagerly await his next scene. Though all these kids are good, and the dialog is exceptional.)*******************************************Okay, this previous post hasn't been posted yet, so now I can conclude: great stuff. I repeat, for the genre. Some of the best out there. And we'll see some of these kids later. But really, a great movie. Not necessarily a keeper, a watch again, for sure. Still a 10 for it's intended scope, and I'm still a critical bastard. Loved it.

Chris Evans, Erika Christensen, Bryan Greenberg, Scarlett Johansson, Leonardo Nam and, "NBA star Darius Miles lead this hip coming-of-age comedy about six students who try to break into the testing center and steal the answers to the SAT," according to the official synopsis, "The classmates are wildly different, but share a common goal - to prevent the standardized test from unfairly defining their lives. As they plot a hilarious heist that could make - or break - their futures, the students grow closer, never suspecting where they'll ultimately find the real answers… within themselves." The leading players are good-looking, but they neither look nor act like they are in high school. Nothing against the actors hired, but there are adult performers who could pass for high school age students. A couple of changes would have given the cast a more believable appearance. What makes it worse is that the idea was a good one, but, really… this cast doesn't look like they are teens stressing-out over getting "The Perfect Score" on their SATs. Instead, they look like they should be having sex and getting sliced up by "Freddy" or "Jason". The lighting and photography (Clark Mathis) are nice.*** The Perfect Score (1/27/04) Brian Robbins ~ Chris Evans, Erika Christensen, Scarlett Johansson

This movie is dismal, unfunny, and causes one to wonder why this movie was made in the first place. We know about the SAT and the complaints about how these standardized tests are given so much weight in determining one's eligibility for admission to college. But this movie trivializes that issue and reduces it to a mere subject for a weak, phlegmatic story. Then again, one can wonder if this vacuous movie is even worth any commentary. Once again Hollywood takes a sensitive subject and makes it into artistic mush. The pressure placed on high school students to get into college is a major problem and this movie further confirms that Hollywood does not have the answer.