Starring: Halle Berry, Bruce Willis
Studio: Revolution Studios/Columbia Pictures 19062
Video: 2.40:1 enhanced for 16:9 widescreen, 1080p HD
Audio: English uncompressed 5.1 PCM, English DD 5.1, French DD 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Korean, Thai, Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish
Extras: “Virtual Lives: The Making of Perfect Stranger”
Length: 109 minutes
Rating: ****
I must agree with one of the reviewers who said this was one of the most satisfying films Berry has ever made. It’s a gripping thriller in which – as with so many nowadays – computers, the Internet and cell phones figure prominently. And it has one of the most astounding plot twists one could imagine.
Ro is an investigative reporter for a newspaper who is ready to jump on a new case because her last one was squashed when the vital informant was paid off so as not to ruin the career of a politician. The new case is brought to her by a friend from childhood who wants to embarrass an important ad agency owner with whom she had a brief affair but he has dumped her. The friend is then found murdered, and Ro and her fellow computer-expert worker (played by Giovanni Ribisi) pull out all the stops to try to solve the case.
They suspect the ad exec – Harold Hill – of committing the murder to cover up his affair from his wealthy wife. Later they begin to suspect the wife due to her business involvement with a poison that was used. Ro spies on Hill by taking a job as a temp worker at the ad agency. At the same time she begins a sexy exchange with Hill on an Internet chat site, using the name and photo of an agency worked that Hill had an affair with in the past. Hill has many secrets, but so do all of the other main characters. The viewer is definitely kept guessing.
The combination of the full-res 1920 x 1080p images and the uncompressed PCM surround provide a compelling involvement in the story. Halle Berry’s being usually on screen too doesn’t hurt.
– John Sunier
