MYST (Movies in Your Spare Time) Post #2: Perfect Stranger (2007)

   On a weekend with my siblings, we decided to have movie night while our parents were out of town. We chose to watch something ON DEMAND and all voted on Perfect Stranger directed by James Foley. One of the reasons we chose to watch this film because Halle Berry, one of our favorite actors, was starring in it. This movie is considered to some a neo-noir psychological thriller film mainly about Rowena Price (Berry) who is an investigative reporter and is pushed in to investigating the murder of her childhood best friend with the main suspect being executive Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis) of the best ad agency in New York. She has to go undercover under multiple aliases as the secretary at Hills's workplace and an online chatting buddy to Hill with the technological help of her friend Miles (Giovanni Ribisi). This movie definitely had my nerves wrecked while watching it.

   The movie seemed to follow Rowena around the whole movie with dolly shots with exceptions to the camera switching back and forth from flashbacks of her childhood, earlier scenes in the movie and computer screens of the two characters "chatting". The movie was primarily a dark film with the gray cloudy skies of the winter in New York and dim light offices, apartments, and subways. For the most part Halle Berry was shot with a medium and close up shots to show the emotion of the character and long shots to show her closet full of designer clothes. Berry showed a fantastic and convincing job with the moments of rage, confusion, and grief with the help of the cinematographer's shots and angles. The cinematographer also showed many shots of low angles to show the power that Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis) had throughout the movie. I could also say that the film's pace was a bit jerky and fast paced which could add to the bit of confusion some viewers, for instance my sister, had while watching the movie. But, I think the jerky pace of the movie added to the suspense of the movie and had me on my toes.
   I think that one important scene in Perfect Stranger was at the beginning of the movie going into introducing the rising climax. The scene opens with a dolly shot of Rowena (Berry) at a bar and celebrating the success of her big story with her partner in crime Miles (Ribisi). Shortly after, her editor comes and brings a pity party with him to tell her that her story can't be published. Rowena goes from being a drunken celebratory woman to being an angry woman filled with rage as the result of the bad news. This specific scene clearly shows Halle Berry's Academy Award winning skills to convince the audience of her upset. She soon after quits and walks out of bar showing the birds eye view of the street and setting. She then decides to walk to the subway and the murder victim, Grace, is introduced. Grace and Rowena's talk is about Grace's affair with Harrison Hill. In this moment there are many more dolly shots and evidence of the dark lighting. Also, the main conflict, introduction to the other characters/ suspects of murder, and Rowena's terrifying childhood secrets.
   All in all, I actually enjoyed watching this film and I give it a solid 4.5 stars. I am not surprised that I liked this movie because I later found out it was directed by James Foley. James Foley also directed film favorite of mine, Fear (1996) with Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon another psycho-drama film. The cast list was created well and the film had a great twist at the end. Halle Berry was fantastic as usual and she made me really enjoy the movie. I think this film directs to anyone because it just a typical suspense filled affair themed movie. This movie was a great way to kick off my weekend.