Pleasant Surprise
I love it when I expect a movie to suck, and then it doesn't. Such was the case with Perfect Stranger. I'm not saying that this is a good movie, I just enjoyed watching it. Halle Berry has never impressed me with her acting "chops", and when she mangled the role of Storm in the X-Man series, I vowed never to watch one of her movies again. However, the combination of smoothe directing, understated dialogue, and an appropriately ambiguous character, Berry's corpse-like demeanor didn't ruin Perfect Stranger. Bruce Willis also played it cool while Giovanni Ribisi handled the heavy lifting with his usual finesse (I love that guy.) Director James Foley lulls the viewer into the pleasant world of the wealthy, beautiful, and creepy, providing pretty pictures such as swanky Manhattan bars, super slick office buildings, and roomy dream apartments. I'm sorry, but I sometimes like watching gorgeous people in gorgeous spaces doing naughty things. The plot did its little twisty thing in the end, but unlike my usual reaction to having my intelligence insulted, I felt like I do when I crunch into the yummy gum center of a BlowPop - tickled pink. Perfect Stranger was unassuming, mildly surprising, and a pleasant experience. You know, if you like that sort of thing.