Perfect Stranger

There’s little doubt that Perfect Stranger, for the most part, resembles one of those made-for-Lifetime thrillers that seem to crop up on a weekly basis, as the movie has been infused with an atmosphere of almost stunning artificiality that’s exacerbated by director James Foley’s disappointingly tame sensibilities (ie the lack of sex and violence perpetuates the film’s TV-ready feel). The thin storyline follows ace reporter Rowena Price (Halle Berry) as she goes undercover to prove that her childhood friend was murdered by Bruce Willis’ Harrison Hill, with complications ensuing as Rowena finds herself surrounded by suspects and shady figures – including her off-kilter assistant at the paper (Giovanni Ribisi’s Miles Haley) and her on-again-off-again boyfriend (Gary Dourdan’s Cameron). It’s clear immediately that Foley has his work cut out for him in terms of capturing the viewer’s interest, as Perfect Stranger suffers from a disastrously unconvincing opening half hour that’s reflected in everything from the forced-sounding dialogue to the over-the-top performances to the laughable portrayal of Rowena’s online chat sessions. And while Willis’ arrival at around the 30 minute mark temporarily injects the proceedings with some life, Perfect Stranger has been saddled with a hopelessly sluggish and curiously uneventful midsection that predominantly feels as though it’s spinning its wheels – with the inclusion of one or two genuinely engrossing sequences (eg Rowena attempts to shut off her computer before Harrison sees what she’s been up to) unable to compensate for the pervasively stale vibe. The movie admittedly does conclude on an unexpectedly positive note – ie the climactic twist is quite impressive in its audacity – yet it’s ultimately impossible to label Perfect Stranger as anything more than a forgettable misfire.

** out of ****