Perfect Stranger (2006 film)
Encyclopedia
Perfect Stranger is a 2007 neo-noir
psychological thriller film, starring Halle Berry
and Bruce Willis
. It was produced by Revolution Studios
for Columbia Pictures
.
) and researcher Miles Haley (Giovanni Ribisi
) going after a conservative senator
who has been having secret sexual encounters with his male interns despite his publicly anti-gay
agenda. The story is shut down, however, when the source clams up and Rowena's editor, a supporter of the senator, puts a stop to the story. Disgusted, Rowena quits her job.
While walking home, Rowena meets her childhood friend, Grace Clayton (Nicki Aycox
), who seeks her help in taking down Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis
), a wealthy advertising executive. Grace gives Rowena her e-mails as proof of their extramarital affair, which Hill recently ended.
A few days later Grace is found dead, leading Rowena to suspect Harrison. With Miles' help Rowena goes undercover as a temp at his company. She flirts with Hill both online and in real life but when he catches her snooping, believing her to be a corporate spy, he fires her.
At Miles's apartment, Rowena discovers a shrine to her and explicit pictures of Miles and Grace. Miles arrives home and Rowena confronts him, who defends himself by providing evidence that Hill had access to belladona for poisoning. She goes to the police, who arrest Harrison for the murder of Grace.
After Hill's conviction Miles visits Rowena, explaining that he knows she is the real killer and has been using this investigation to frame Hill. Rowena flashes back to a memory of her father attempting to molest
her and her mother subsequently bludgeoning him to death with a fireplace poker. A younger Grace watches from her window as they bury his body. Grace has been blackmailing Rowena with this knowledge. Miles describes in detail how she had plotted the murder to end Grace's blackmail and pinned the murder on Hill. Miles asks how she intends to keep him quiet, implying she might sleep with him, since he has long lusted after her. However, Rowena stabs him to death and ransacks the kitchen. She then calls the police, claiming to have been attacked by Miles and that he might have been the real murderer. The film ends with a man looking out of a neighboring window, presumably having witnessed what really happened and hence echoing that the blackmail chain was going to keep continuning as before.
, based on 138 reviews.
videos of the respective actresses, in character, speaking the text of the entry with minor changes. This is a relatively new form of viral marketing
similar to an alternate reality game
.
Neo-noir
Neo-noir is a style often seen in modern motion pictures and other forms that prominently utilize elements of film noir, but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements or media that were absent in films noir of the 1940s and 1950s.-History:The term Film Noir was coined by...
psychological thriller film, starring Halle Berry
Halle Berry
Halle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
and Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
. It was produced by Revolution Studios
Revolution Studios
Revolution Studios is an American production company founded in 2000 by Joe Roth, a former chairman of Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Fox. Revolution was formerly a strategic partner of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which distributed and marketed Revolution's films. The company's film division...
for Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
.
Plot
The film opens with reporter Rowena Price (Halle BerryHalle Berry
Halle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
) and researcher Miles Haley (Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi is an American actor. His film credits include Gone in 60 Seconds, Boiler Room, Saving Private Ryan, The Mod Squad, The Gift, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Lost in Translation and more recently, Public Enemies and Avatar...
) going after a conservative senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
who has been having secret sexual encounters with his male interns despite his publicly anti-gay
LGBT rights opposition
LGBT rights opposition refers to active opposition to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights. Organizations influential in LGBT rights opposition frequently challenge judicial rulings, and legislative initiatives, and dispute findings that sexual orientation is an immutable...
agenda. The story is shut down, however, when the source clams up and Rowena's editor, a supporter of the senator, puts a stop to the story. Disgusted, Rowena quits her job.
While walking home, Rowena meets her childhood friend, Grace Clayton (Nicki Aycox
Nicki Aycox
-Personal life:Aycox was born in Hennessey, Oklahoma. She has a younger brother, Steve. She speaks fluent German according to an interview in Jack magazine. She also comes from a Native American heritage.-Career:Aycox began performing at a young age...
), who seeks her help in taking down Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
), a wealthy advertising executive. Grace gives Rowena her e-mails as proof of their extramarital affair, which Hill recently ended.
A few days later Grace is found dead, leading Rowena to suspect Harrison. With Miles' help Rowena goes undercover as a temp at his company. She flirts with Hill both online and in real life but when he catches her snooping, believing her to be a corporate spy, he fires her.
At Miles's apartment, Rowena discovers a shrine to her and explicit pictures of Miles and Grace. Miles arrives home and Rowena confronts him, who defends himself by providing evidence that Hill had access to belladona for poisoning. She goes to the police, who arrest Harrison for the murder of Grace.
After Hill's conviction Miles visits Rowena, explaining that he knows she is the real killer and has been using this investigation to frame Hill. Rowena flashes back to a memory of her father attempting to molest
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
her and her mother subsequently bludgeoning him to death with a fireplace poker. A younger Grace watches from her window as they bury his body. Grace has been blackmailing Rowena with this knowledge. Miles describes in detail how she had plotted the murder to end Grace's blackmail and pinned the murder on Hill. Miles asks how she intends to keep him quiet, implying she might sleep with him, since he has long lusted after her. However, Rowena stabs him to death and ransacks the kitchen. She then calls the police, claiming to have been attacked by Miles and that he might have been the real murderer. The film ends with a man looking out of a neighboring window, presumably having witnessed what really happened and hence echoing that the blackmail chain was going to keep continuning as before.
Cast
- Halle BerryHalle BerryHalle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
as Rowena Price - Bruce WillisBruce WillisWalter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
as Harrison Hill - Giovanni RibisiGiovanni RibisiGiovanni Ribisi is an American actor. His film credits include Gone in 60 Seconds, Boiler Room, Saving Private Ryan, The Mod Squad, The Gift, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Lost in Translation and more recently, Public Enemies and Avatar...
as Miles Haley - Florencia LozanoFlorencia LozanoFlorencia Lozano is an American actress. She has starred as character Téa Delgado on the daytime series One Life to Live, often receiving praise for the portrayal, as the character emerged as one of the genre's most prominent....
as Lieutenant Karen Tejada - Jason AntoonJason Antoon-Stage career:He is best known for his role in the 2000 Tony Award-winning musical Contact. For his performance, he received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical.-Movie career:...
as Bill Patel - Patti D'ArbanvillePatti D'ArbanvillePatricia "Patti" D'Arbanville is an American actress and former model.-Early life:D'Arbanville, born May 25, 1951 in New York City, New York, is the daughter of Jean , an artist, and George D'Arbanville, a bartender, and attended PS 41 on Eleventh Street...
as Esmeralda - Jane Bradbury as Toni
- Jared Burke as Keneth Phelps
- Gary DourdanGary DourdanGary Robert Dourdan is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Warrick Brown on the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.-Early years:...
as Cameron - Clea LewisClea LewisClea Lewis is an American actress, best known for her television role as Ellen's annoying friend Audrey Penney in Ellen DeGeneres' sitcom Ellen.- Other notable roles :...
as Gina - Daniella van GraasDaniella van GraasDaniella van Graas is a Dutch fashion model and actress.- Filmography:*Entourage - *Perfect Stranger - *Marmalade -...
as Josie - Tamara FeldmanTamara FeldmanTamara Feldman is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Mary Beth in Hatchet and in The CW television series Smallville, Supernatural and Gossip Girl.- Personal life :...
as Bethany - Deirdre Lorenz as Veronica
- Nicki AycoxNicki Aycox-Personal life:Aycox was born in Hennessey, Oklahoma. She has a younger brother, Steve. She speaks fluent German according to an interview in Jack magazine. She also comes from a Native American heritage.-Career:Aycox began performing at a young age...
as Grace Clayton - Paula Miranda as Mia Hill
- Lauren Potter as Client #1
Reception
Perfect Stranger was critically panned, with an 11% positive rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, based on 138 reviews.
Promotion
The characters of Grace, Josie, and Mrs. Hill all have blogs dating back to September or October 2006 with YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
videos of the respective actresses, in character, speaking the text of the entry with minor changes. This is a relatively new form of viral marketing
Viral marketing
Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses...
similar to an alternate reality game
Alternate reality game
An alternate reality game is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants' ideas or actions....
.
External links
- Interviews Halle Berry about the film at HipHopDX.com