DVD

  Anime 
  DVD's
  Soundtracks
  Graphic Novels
  System Video
  Interviews
  All Features

Areas

  3DS
  Android
  iPad
  iPhone
  Mac
  PC
  PlayStation 3
  PlayStation 4
  Switch
  Vita
  Wii U
  Xbox 360
  Xbox One
  Media
  Archives
  Search
  Contests

 

Perfect Stranger

Score: 85%
Rating: R
Publisher: Sony Pictures Home
                  Entertainment

Region: 1
Media: DVD/1
Running Time: 109 Mins.
Genre: Thriller/Suspense/Drama
Audio: English, French 5.1 (Dolby
           Digital)

Subtitles: English, French

Features:

  • Virtual Lives: The Making of Perfect Stranger
  • Previews

Perfect Stranger is one of those thrillers that warns of the evils of the internet and anonymous chatting. While it spins this warning around a clever tale of lust and murder, the moral of the story is... don't talk to strangers.

Rowena "Ro" Price (Halle Berry) is a hard-nosed reporter who will stop at nothing to get the big story. She initially proves this by getting the goods on a politician, only to have the rug pulled out from under her by her editor. Powerful Men with Big Money always seem to win. So in a fit of anger, Ro quits the paper. She soon bumps into old friend Grace (Nicki Aycox) who tells her of a recent affair with big-time ad exec Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis). Grace pushes a folder of raunchy emails the two exchanged into Ro's hands and insists that she blow the lid off of the philandering Hill's antics. Grace wants revenge since Hill is now ignoring her. Then, a few days later, Grace turns up dead - violently murdered - and Ro decides to get to the bottom of what happened.

She enlists her top researcher from the paper, Miles (Giovanni Ribisi), to help her create an alternate identity so she can temp at Harrison Hill's powerful ad agency. In the meantime, Miles also helps Ro get an online identity so she can hopefully incriminate Hill that way as well.

In the meantime, although it is painfully obvious that Miles is head-over-heels in love with Ro, she'd rather focus her attention on her "ex" Cameron (Gary Dourdan, CSI). As it turns out, Cam had a fling with Grace some time ago, and that put a rift between he and Ro, and Grace, of course. But as things progress, Ro finds out that not only was Grace brutally murdered with the poison bella donna, but she had also been pregnant at the time of her murder. Who's the daddy? Hill, Cam or someone totally different altogether?

Soon, Hill spots Ro and comes on to her and as she gets closer, things get more dangerous. As she begins to gather proof of his involvement with Grace's murder, other possibilities of guilt are thrown in involving Hill's wife and others much closer to Ro. Throw in flashbacks about Ro's odd childhood and her ultra-creepy dad who loves to help her bathe and things get even more muddled. The startling conclusion has quite a twist and leaves the viewer wondering just how the killer pulled it all together.

While an enjoyable film, it doesn't have the edge that some thrillers do. I found myself watching Ro do stupid things like having a dirty chat with Hill online while she was at work - at his company! The IT department is always watching, Ro - get a clue. However, all of the acting was very good. Bruce Willis is very believable as a wealthy ladies man used to getting who and what he wants. Halle Berry, lovely as always, plays her part well, but it kind of seemed like her wardrobe kept screaming, "Look at me and how sexy I am." But then, I guess that was the point, at least while she was trying to attract Hill. Giovanni Ribisi is always enjoyable and plays the part of the lovelorn and ever-present Miles well.

The only special feature, aside from Previews, was a Making-of Featurette which wasn't particularly riveting. Although not one to necessarily add to your collection, this one would make a decent rent. While not the best thriller I've seen recently (that honor would go to Vacancy and Disturbia - both awesome!), it's worth watching just for the plot twists.



-Psibabe, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ashley Perkins

DVD Movies The Muppet Show: The Complete Second Season DVD Movies Dane Cook: The Lost Episodes

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated