A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Perfect Stranger

Date Viewed: 4/15/07

Details:

Halle Berry

Bruce Willis

Giovanni Ribisi

Gary Dourdan

Nicki Aycox

Director: James Foley

Score: 1/2

The Review: If you ever want an object lesson in safe computing, watch Perfect Stranger: locking screen-savers, password protected accounts -- it's all there, or rather, it's not there, but damn well should be. Spoofed chat rooms, the putative hacker as hero -- convenient stereotypes, even if borderline technological fantasy. It's not all realistic or functional -- and any corporate environment which allowed this laxness to exist would not long be at the top of its game -- but hey, you need a few holes through which a plot might drive to escape logic.

Mystery thriller, with few thrills to speak of, although Halley Berry definitely gets to wear some hot outfits. A pseudonymous investigative reporter (Berry), one of her childhood friends (Aycox) ends up dead. It looks to be murder; and a cyber-trail soon appears pointing to the head of a successful ad agency (Willis). A bizarre and marginally savory relationship with a fellow reporter (Ribisi) threads through the mix. Several twists and turns, red herrings and black thoughts, all conspire to hide what's really going on. Don't think too much about the plot -- its late denouement discourages such effort -- because there are several truck-sized gaps, as well as gaffs, that might otherwise become worrisome. Some eye candy, and a puzzle, with some rather bizarre characters.

(15-Apr-07)

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