Honestly, the 2013 thriller A Perfect Man—or Un homme idéal if you’re feeling fancy and French—is one of those movies that sticks in your craw long after the credits roll. It’s stressful. It’s sweaty. It’s basically a masterclass in how a single lie can snowball into a literal mountain of corpses and ruined lives. Most people who look up a perfect man film are usually trying to find that specific brand of "imposter syndrome turned deadly" that director Yann Gozlan nailed so well. Pierre Niney plays Mathieu Vasseur, a struggling writer who finds a dead man's diary, publishes it as his own, and then spends the rest of the movie frantically trying to keep the facade from cracking. It's a nightmare.
We’ve all been there, right? Not the "stealing a dead veteran's memoirs" part, hopefully, but that localized panic of being found out as a fraud. That’s why the movie works. It taps into a very specific, very modern anxiety.
The Anatomy of a Lie in A Perfect Man Film
The plot isn't just a simple heist of intellectual property. It’s a slow-motion car crash. Mathieu is a moving man. He’s invisible. When he finds the manuscript of a deceased Algerian War veteran, he doesn't just see a book; he sees a ticket into a world of elite Parisian intellectuals who wouldn't look at him twice otherwise. He wants the life, the girl (played by Ana Girardot), and the prestige.
But here is where the movie gets mean. It doesn't let him enjoy it.
Every scene feels like a tightening noose. Gozlan uses these tight, claustrophobic shots that make the beautiful villas of the French Riviera feel like a prison cell. You’re watching a guy who has everything he ever dreamed of, but he’s too busy looking over his shoulder to taste the expensive wine. It reminds me of the classic noir tropes, but updated for a generation obsessed with curated identities.
Why Pierre Niney was the perfect choice
If you haven't seen Niney in this, you’re missing out. He has this specific look—vulnerable but twitchy. He makes Mathieu sympathetic even when he’s doing objectively horrible things. You kind of want him to get away with it, which makes you feel like a bit of a garbage person. That’s the sign of a good thriller. He isn't a mustache-twirling villain. He’s a guy who made one bad choice and then spent the next two years trying to fix it with even worse choices.
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The physical transformation is subtle but there. As the pressure builds, he looks smaller. More haggard. By the time the "accidents" start happening, he’s barely holding it together. It’s a far cry from the sleek, confident "author" persona he projects at book signings.
How It Compares to The Talented Mr. Ripley
People always compare a perfect man film to The Talented Mr. Ripley. It’s a fair comparison, but they aren't the same. Tom Ripley is a predator; Mathieu Vasseur is a desperate amateur. Ripley feels like he belongs in the upper crust because he’s a chameleon. Mathieu always feels like an intruder.
- Ripley is about identity theft as an art form.
- A Perfect Man is about the crushing weight of a secret.
- One is a sociopath; the other is just a liar who got in too deep.
There’s a specific scene where Mathieu has to produce a second novel. This is the "sophomore slump" from hell. He’s being paid huge advances, his father-in-law is watching him like a hawk, and he has absolutely nothing to say. He’s a blank slate. That’s the real horror—not the threat of jail, but the realization that he actually isn't a genius. He’s just a guy with a stolen diary and a laptop.
The Brutal Reality of the Ending
A lot of people argue about the ending of A Perfect Man. Without spoiling every single beat, let’s just say it doesn't opt for a clean, moralistic "crime doesn't pay" conclusion. It’s darker than that. It suggests that you can keep the lie alive, but the cost is your soul. Or your freedom. Or both.
The final act is a frantic series of cover-ups that involve blackmail and some pretty grim "cleanup" work. It’s a sharp pivot from a psychological drama to a full-blown noir tragedy. You see the transition from a man who wanted to be loved for his mind to a man who is willing to destroy everything to stay out of a cage.
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It’s hollow. That’s the point.
Technical Mastery: Sound and Scenery
The sound design in this film is underrated. You hear every click of a keyboard, every intake of breath, every car engine in the distance. It builds a sensory profile of paranoia. When Mathieu is trying to dispose of evidence, the silence of the French countryside is deafening. It’s not a "loud" movie, but it’s a heavy one.
Gozlan also leans into the contrast of the setting. The Mediterranean sun is bright and unforgiving. There are no shadows to hide in. In old noir films, everything happened in dark alleys. Here, the most terrible things happen in broad daylight, in beautiful gardens, or in glass-walled rooms. There is nowhere to hide.
Is it actually a "Perfect" movie?
Not really. Some of the coincidences are a bit much. The way he manages to dodge certain bullets feels a little "movie-magic" at times. But the emotional core—that feeling of the floor falling out from under you—is 100% authentic.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Watch
If you’re planning to dive into this movie, or if you’ve seen it and want to explore the "imposter thriller" genre further, here is how to get the most out of the experience:
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- Watch for the "tells": Pay attention to Niney’s hands. The way he fidgets with pens or his glasses tells the story his face is trying to hide.
- Context matters: Understand that the French literary scene portrayed here is notoriously snobby. This adds a layer of class warfare that makes Mathieu's theft feel like a weirdly twisted form of rebellion.
- Double Feature it: Watch this back-to-back with The Words (2012) starring Bradley Cooper. It’s the American take on the same "stolen manuscript" premise, but the two films reach very different conclusions about guilt and penance.
- Look for the original: If you like the "imposter" vibe, check out Purple Noon (1960), which is the first adaptation of Ripley. It shares that same sun-drenched dread found in Gozlan's work.
What This Film Teaches Us About Modern Success
Ultimately, a perfect man film isn't just about a crime. It’s a critique of a culture that values the "image" of success over the work itself. Mathieu didn't want to write; he wanted to be seen as a writer. In a world of Instagram filters and "fake it till you make it" career coaching, the movie feels more relevant now than it did in 2013.
The real "Perfect Man" doesn't exist. He’s a ghost, a collection of stolen words, and a desperate man trying to keep a dream from turning into a life sentence.
To truly appreciate the film's nuance, pay close attention to the background characters—their expectations are what actually fuel Mathieu's descent. Every time someone praises his "genius," they are unintentionally pushing him closer to the edge. It’s a communal tragedy disguised as an individual crime.
If you are looking for a thriller that prioritizes tension over explosions, this is it. It’s a lean, mean 97 minutes that will make you very, very glad you don't have any massive secrets hidden in your desk drawer. Or at least, it’ll make you think twice before hitting "publish" on something that isn't yours.
The next step is simple: find a copy of the 2015 French release with subtitles. Avoid the dubbed versions if you can; the original French delivery is essential for capturing the specific, frantic energy Niney brings to the role. Once you've watched it, look into Yann Gozlan's later work like Boîte noire (Black Box), which carries that same high-tension, procedural DNA.