Spring Break
The Daily OrangeDon't talk to strangers: Berry, Willis tank with flat performances in contrived thriller
By Dan Hubsher
Posted: 4/13/07, 12:22 AM EST Section: Splice
Here's a piece of advice all the directors in Hollywood should already know but can have anyway. Just because your movie has one of those super-cool twist endings nobody was expecting doesn't mean it's a good movie. Unfortunately, James Foley, the director of "Perfect Stranger," never got the memo.
"Stranger" tells the story of Rowena Price (Halle Berry), an intrepid journalist (and I use the term loosely here) trying to solve the mystery behind the shocking murder of an old friend. Intrigue and thrills ensue as she gets up close and personal with the prime suspect, shifty scumbag ad executive, Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis).
If you've seen the commercials then you know there's a big ol' shocker at the end, and the film does deliver on this promise. However, with a plot more tangled up than four drunken contortionists playing Twister, the ending does little to redeem the movie … and neither does the acting.
Halle Berry overacts so much it hurts to watch, playing up her emotions so much at times you just can't take her seriously. And I would say Bruce Willis displayed all the personality of a cardboard cutout of himself, but that would be an insult to cardboard cutouts everywhere. The duo's performances in "Stranger" make you forget about films like "The Sixth Sense" and "Monster's Ball." But thank God for Giovanni Ribisi, who provides just enough dynamism and energy as Rowena's creepy best friend and coworker to keep your attention.
Throughout the film are scenes so nonsensical and confusing you're left wondering what's going on. Sure, it's standard ground for the modern Hollywood thriller, but after a while the twists and turns pile up to frustrating levels and befuddlement turns to boredom. Add in the host of unnecessary throwaway characters including Harrison's hot lesbian assistant and Rowena's on-again-off-again ex-boyfriend, and you find yourself glancing down at your watch, wondering, "All right, where's this all going? I've got places to be."
The prerequisite for any genuinely good thriller is in the end all of the pieces fall into place and everything makes sense. However, the big reveal in "Stranger" slams the table and scatters the pieces all over the place, leaving nothing but a big mess. Without revealing too much, it takes everything you know about one of the characters and throws it out the window, which is quite frankly, insulting.
If you're looking for a cheap thrill, take some Mentos, put them in a Coca-Cola bottle and watch as a frothy geyser of soda erupts. If you're looking for an overpriced poorly made sad excuse for a film, go see "Perfect Stranger."
"Stranger" tells the story of Rowena Price (Halle Berry), an intrepid journalist (and I use the term loosely here) trying to solve the mystery behind the shocking murder of an old friend. Intrigue and thrills ensue as she gets up close and personal with the prime suspect, shifty scumbag ad executive, Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis).
If you've seen the commercials then you know there's a big ol' shocker at the end, and the film does deliver on this promise. However, with a plot more tangled up than four drunken contortionists playing Twister, the ending does little to redeem the movie … and neither does the acting.
Halle Berry overacts so much it hurts to watch, playing up her emotions so much at times you just can't take her seriously. And I would say Bruce Willis displayed all the personality of a cardboard cutout of himself, but that would be an insult to cardboard cutouts everywhere. The duo's performances in "Stranger" make you forget about films like "The Sixth Sense" and "Monster's Ball." But thank God for Giovanni Ribisi, who provides just enough dynamism and energy as Rowena's creepy best friend and coworker to keep your attention.
Throughout the film are scenes so nonsensical and confusing you're left wondering what's going on. Sure, it's standard ground for the modern Hollywood thriller, but after a while the twists and turns pile up to frustrating levels and befuddlement turns to boredom. Add in the host of unnecessary throwaway characters including Harrison's hot lesbian assistant and Rowena's on-again-off-again ex-boyfriend, and you find yourself glancing down at your watch, wondering, "All right, where's this all going? I've got places to be."
The prerequisite for any genuinely good thriller is in the end all of the pieces fall into place and everything makes sense. However, the big reveal in "Stranger" slams the table and scatters the pieces all over the place, leaving nothing but a big mess. Without revealing too much, it takes everything you know about one of the characters and throws it out the window, which is quite frankly, insulting.
If you're looking for a cheap thrill, take some Mentos, put them in a Coca-Cola bottle and watch as a frothy geyser of soda erupts. If you're looking for an overpriced poorly made sad excuse for a film, go see "Perfect Stranger."
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