“Perfect Stranger”
Rated R
Now playing
* 1/2

THE STORY: Investigative reporter Rowena Price (Halle Berry) tries to avenge the murder of her childhood friend Grace (Nicki Aycox) by posing as an intern for advertising sultan Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis). With help from her computer-savvy friend Miles Hailey (Giovanni Ribisi), she lures Hill into exposing his secrets to the seemingly anonymous world of the Internet.

(Photo: Even the star power of Bruce Willis and Halle Berry can't save "Perfect Stranger." Credit: Barry Wetcher) 

THE GOOD: While the idea of an online cat-and-mouse game is cookie-cutter thriller fare, the story as a whole is refreshingly original. The quick-moving plot combined with a good amount of twists and tense moments keeps the viewer awake (if not entirely on the edge of his or her seat) for the hour and 49 minutes.

Another aspect of the movie that helps one stay interested is that the way the sets and camera work really lend themselves to the mood the scene is trying to convey. During one tension-filled scene, the lighting was ominously dim and the camera approached Rowena in classic horror-movie style, as if someone was sneaking up on the subject. In an overall mediocre movie like this, little things such as camera angles can really help to balance out deficiencies.

THE BAD: Berry's portrayal of Rowena was surprisingly shallow. Rowena could have been a very interesting character, but Berry wasn't dynamic enough in the role. The rest of the cast (with the exception of Ribisi) wasn't much better; Willis seemed content to play the typical "seductive, successful older man" without adding anything of his own to the role.

As good as the story was, it was not helped at all by the dialogue. The script was chock-full of cheesy one-liners and awkward moments. The writers also seemed determined to throw in every possible cliché that they could, with no regard as to how it fit into the scene.

THE BOTTOM LINE: "Perfect Stranger" is the kind of movie you'd watch on TV on a Sunday night to avoid doing homework. It's a nice temporary distraction, but don't expect it to leave much of an impression on you. The story alone might make it worth a (very low) spot in your Netflix queue, but it's not worth the price of admission to a theater.

 -- Keenan Weatherford, Aptos High