JAMICÁ C. ASHLEY
How far would you go to keep a secret?
Sony Entertainment didn’t go far enough to keep this disease-ridden cat in the bag.
“Perfect Stranger” follows journalist Rowena Price (Halle Berry) as she goes deep undercover, with the help of her colleague Miles (Giovanni Ribisi), to dig out the truth behind the murder of her questionable, long time associate Grace (Nicki Aycox).
Believing that advertising executive Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis) is responsible, Rowena becomes an employee of his and soon the object of his ever-adulterous roaming eye. Once close enough, Price is able to gather enough evidence to go to the police, which she does, sending Hill to prison.
That sounds simple enough but unnecessary plot twists and turn make this dramatic thriller predictably boring.
There are about three secondary plots playing themselves out as the movie unfolds, including Price reuniting with her ex-boyfriend Cameron (Gary Dourdan) whom she broke up with because he slept with Grace.
Most of the plot twists are predictable because of more than obvious clues throughout the movie and you wonder how long things will continue before something happens to make the characters aware of what you’ve known since the first few scenes.
Berry’s character comes across as a self-righteous hypocrite out to do the right thing, Willis’s as the short-tempered husband who never learns and Ribisi’s as the creepy yet helpful guy in Spanish class who you knew had a crush on you but you thought would pass.
A-list actors cannot cover up bad writing or a less than enthralling story.
Throw all of these characters in a pot together, stir then let simmer for about an hour and a half and the boring thriller “Perfect Stranger” pops out.
With Willis giving lines like “Kill or become irrelevant,” you know this movie will continue to disappoint.
“Perfect Stranger” is rated R and is boring audiences in theaters nationwide.
