Review of Perfect Stranger (2007) by Filipeneto — 29 Dec 2018

This movie initially did not seem to me as bad as many say it is. Seriously, it's nice when we see it, but it gets worse when we think about it seriously. The story revolves around a journalist trying to find out the killer of a childhood friend who had told her she was having an affair with a powerful executive at an advertising firm. Of course, the journalist immediately suspects him and decides to infiltrate the company and seduce him to discover the truth.

The film has a good initial premise and provides the public with good entertainment and even some pleasant suspense. The problem comes when we think of what we are seeing. Right from the beginning, the journalist tries to expose a politician who, despite being a homosexual, positions himself as an opponent of LGBT rights. At least that's what I understood! I understand that being gay and being gay is a gigantic contradiction, but it still does not seem to me a reason for a journalistic bore, even when holding public office. The personal life of each one only concerns each one, and it is only each one who should see the possible contradictions that may exist and be honest with himself. And as if that were not enough, the journalist then decides to seduce a married man, who she knows to be a womanizer and a contumacious adulterer, to know if he killed her friend. The CEO of the film is portrayed as an adulterer who sexually assaults the female employees ... but if sexual harassment is a crime what we see in the film no: I only saw the female employees almost throw themselves into the employer's lap, which did not is made of iron ... All this ends up making us forget the initial homicide, which should be the focus of the film and which loses its importance as the games of seduction between the boss and the false employee become more intense. Another thing that does not have any kind of relevance but that the film highlights as far as can be the torrid sexual encounters of the main character. Okay, sex sells, but even sex must have been right in a movie.

Honestly, the problem with this film is the poor construction of the script, which gives ancillary value and forgets the fundamental. Another problem I noticed is the poor build of the characters, who are unable to empathize with the audience, even though I liked the idea that they all had their own "dark side", their skeleton in the closet. But the bad construction of the characters is a consequence of the bad script. Hale Berry tried to show talent and still achieves a satisfactory performance, but did not receive material to shine. Bruce Willis, despite being in a character that allows him to take full advantage of the charm and magnetism that usually attributed to him, also did not seem at his best. The two actors built good chemistry, but that's it. Giovanni Ribisi is simply stupid and Nicki Aycox had a character with no credibility whatsoever.

The movie entertains, but it is better to see without thinking about it. It turns out to be perfectly forgettable.