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Review #447 of 365
Movie Review of Perfect Stranger (2007) [R] 109 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $13.00
Where Viewed: United Artists Denver Pavilions Stadium 15, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 15 April 2007
Time: 3:15 p.m.
Film's Official Website • Film's Trailer
DVD Release Date: 21 August 2007
Directed by: James Foley (Confidence)
Screenplay by: Todd Komarnicki (Resistance) based on the story by Jon Bokenkamp (Taking Lives)
Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Halle Berry (X-Men: The Last Stand) • Bruce Willis (Grindhouse) • Giovanni Ribisi (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow)
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
Despite the shared top billing, look whose face is bigger on the poster and whose is looming in the background. Perfect Stranger, directed by James Foley from Todd Komarnicki's screenplay, really is, for all intents and purposes, a Halle Berry tour de force film. With a shocking twist ending that will have you squirming and repulsed the story employs the art of misdirection with the skill of David Copperfield. Chalk part of the success of the twist to a quiet media as well as to the uncommonly skillful trailer which aids in the set up rather than giving too much away.
"…a Halle Berry tour de force film…artfully executed, produced, and captured "
The story is steeped in common grounds that bind each of the three main characters: Rowena (Halle Berry), a New York City journalist who writes her explosive undercover stories using an assumed name and identity, Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis), a New York City advertising executive with a powerful wife and a penchant for other beautiful women, and Miles (Giovanni Ribisi) Rowena's researcher and computer hacker with an obvious 'crush' on his boss. All three live complicated lives behind complete façades providing their inner consciences and, perhaps, demons from penetrating into their fragile true selves. The thick plot begins with Rowena quitting her job when powerful people that be quash her story about the extra-curricular activities of a well-connected, Washington, political icon. Outwardly fed up with the notion that newspapers are now in the business of keeping readers from the news, she decides to get out of the business and look for a new avenue for her skills. In the meantime, however, a childhood friend turns up with some tantalizing news of affairs she's had Harrison Hill which began with aggressively evocative online chats and emails. A few days later she turns up in the morgue after having been bound, weighted down loosely, and tossed in the river. Her mother enlists the aid of Rowena in the identification of body hoping against all hope it is not her daughter. Unfortunately, her prayers remain unanswered as the sheet is pulled back to reveal the river bottom-ravaged body. This prompts Rowena to begin an investigation of her own into Harrison Hill to acquire the necessary proof of her suspicions that Mr. Hill is responsible for the death. Miles assists her every step of the way by hacking into email and chat logs, getting her a temp job in Hill's company, and reading the bread crumbs in a trail that's suspiciously still quite hot. Be prepared to have the rug pulled right out from under you for just when it seems that justice has been done, the gruesome truth will be revealed.
As far as thrillers with great twists go, Perfect Stranger earns high marks. I've heard people say it was predictable, however, I was completely shocked and surprised. The film is well-paced, and the three main characters well-portrayed. Pay attention to each and study how they have a good grasp of their character's dual natures. Of course, Halle Berry's will prove to be, by far, the best. She was as impressive in this role as she's ever been as an actress carrying the picture end to end. Giovanni Ribisi has cornered the market on playing the toad who hangs on too long to old attractions and secretly aspires to relationships far out of his league. His penetrating eyes reflect perfectly his character's tortured and deeply sad, yet twisted, soul. Finally taking some credit for a role, Bruce Willis is well-cast as the flamboyant lady's man, Harrison Hill. He is adequate to the task which doesn't require much and could have been filled by dozens of other actors of his age range. All in all, the picture was artfully executed, produced, and captured. Most of the credit must go to James Foley who seems in complete control of the flow and pace of the film allowing it to unfold evenly and then stepping it up as the tension of the events begins to crystallize.
As far as thrillers with great twists go, Perfect Stranger earns high marks. I've heard people say it was predictable, however, I was completely shocked and surprised. The film is well-paced, and the three main characters well-portrayed. Pay attention to each and study how they have a good grasp of their character's dual natures. Of course, Halle Berry's will prove to be, by far, the best. She was as impressive in this role as she's ever been as an actress carrying the picture end to end. Giovanni Ribisi has cornered the market on playing the toad who hangs on too long to old attractions and secretly aspires to relationships far out of his league. His penetrating eyes reflect perfectly his character's tortured and deeply sad, yet twisted, soul. Finally taking some credit for a role, Bruce Willis is well-cast as the flamboyant lady's man, Harrison Hill. He is adequate to the task which doesn't require much and could have been filled by dozens of other actors of his age range. All in all, the picture was artfully executed, produced, and captured. Most of the credit must go to James Foley who seems in complete control of the flow and pace of the film allowing it to unfold evenly and then stepping it up as the tension of the events begins to crystallize.
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The film's weakness may lie strictly in the times. The plot and concept is nearly too plausible or too familiar. The political and social landscape of today makes this story seem a bit like one we actually might read about on the front page of the big city news. Therefore, some of the shock value is lost. Moreover, just as M. Night Shymalan has found, once you've pulled the ultimate twist movie out of one's hat, that's the bar of expectation ever after. Every film with a twist now is compared, and viewers are prepared to look for and expect these. How good is the twist, how logical is it, how difficult was it to figure out, etc.? So, a goodly portion of the viewers are bound to say, "I figured out in 10 minutes," which I'd say is a gross exaggeration if I ever heard one, and others will surely say, "It was obvious and predictable." Ironically, anymore, twists are only predictable really in that the expectation for there to be one has been set. There's got to be a twist, therefore, it must be XYZ. I guess I don't approach every thriller with that expectation. My mind doesn't presume it. Therefore, I get to enjoy the surprise still. In any case, I would argue that the twist is not easy to figure out, and that the fun of such films is less in figuring out the twist and more in figuring out how the twist was hidden.
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
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Other Projects Featuring Perfect Stranger (2007)
Cast Members
Halle Berry
• Bruce Willis • Giovanni RibisiDirector
James Foley
Writer
Todd Komarnicki
| DVD | VHS |
Perfect Stranger (2007) Review-lite [150-word cap]
Despite shared top billing, Perfect Stranger, directed by James Foley, really is, a Halle Berry tour de force film. With a shocking twist ending, the story employs the art of misdirection with the skill of David Copperfield. Chalk up some success of the twist to the uncommonly skillful trailer which aids in setting up rather than giving away too much. The story follows the personal investigation into the death of a childhood friend by an NYC investifative journalist (Halle Berry). Her prime suspect is Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis), an advertising executive with a powerful wife and a penchant for other beautiful women. With a nearly-too-plausible plot, the film's weakness may lie strictly in the times. The current political and social landscape makes this story read a bit like one ripped from the front page of any big city newspaper causing a loss of some shock value.
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