PERFECT STRANGER

"He is guilty"

After walking out on her newspaper after her story is buried, Rowena's (Berry) journalistic instincts take hold again after she meets her old childhood friend with an interesting story to tell. When Grace (Aycox) is killed, Rowena decides to look into the man she said that she has being having an affair with, New York advertising guru Hamilton Hill (Willis). With the help of her technical assistant Miles (Ribisi), she gets herself a job at his film and positions herself closer to Hamilton but this could be at the risk of her own life.

Award winner Halle Berry hasn't really chosen her films well since collecting the golden statue but can 'Perfect Stranger' be the perfect choice?

Since winning the Oscar for 'Monster's Ball', Halle Berry's career has been on a downward slide. Complete and almost laughable failures of 'Catwoman' and 'Gothika' gained her a reputation of not been able to choose a good movie. With only her return to Storm/Ororo Munroe in 'X-Men: The Last Stand' standing out since that win in 2002, her role as investigating journalist Rowena is one that should win her another award, her second 'Razzie'. While you have to applaud her for actually turning up to collect her worst actress award at the alternative awards ceremony for 'Catwoman', she really didn't need to go for a second.

The question is why does she keep accepting roles like this. As Rowena, a beautiful and talented journalist, she turns her investigating skills to solve the murder of her childhood friend and bring the man, who she thinks committed the crime, to justice. This premise is fine and should have been a strong female role but the execution of the movie is just awful.

The movie starts pretty well, drawing you into the story and having you start guessing as to if Bruce Willis' Hamilton Hill is the philandering murderer she thinks he is. As the film enters the second act however everything starts to go downhill. Giovanni Ribisi becomes totally over the top, trying too hard to be the slightly weird techie geek that has a huge crush on his beautiful journalist partner. Bruce Willis just looks at the numerous gorgeous women that are scattered around this office and bouts. It is Halle Berry that does herself no favours with another role that doesn't really challenge the talents she showcased in her Oscar win. This is another pedestrian performance that will only gain her more unwanted attention from the negative reviews and quite possibly the 'Razzies'.

'Perfect Stranger' is just awful. The ending totally ruins any good points the script may have had but it is the performances that drag the film to an even deeper level of travesty. Halle Berry really needs to look at her career and think about taking offers from independent filmmakers again to remind the world that her Oscar win wasn't a fluke.

Featurette: 'Virtual Lives', an insightful 'making of' to take you further into the mystery

Basic Instinct 2

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2007