Who's Who?

Halle Berry Bruce Willis Giovanni Ribisi Richard Portnow Gary Dourdan Florencia Lozano Nicki Aycox Kathleen Chalfant Gordon MacDonald Daniella Van Graas Paula Miranda Patti D'Arbanville Clea Lewis Tamara Feldman Aaron Nauta

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Rowena Harrison Hill Miles Narron Cameron Lieutenant Tejada Grace Elizabeth Clayton Senator Sachs Josie Mia Hill Esmeralda Gina Bethany Gunnar Hope

The Inside Story "Everybody lies; it just depends on how big the lie is and what the consequences of the lie are," says director James Foley. "I’m fascinated by the idea that people sometimes act in ways that they don’t realize what they’re doing, the audience understands the character’s behavior, but the character himself does not. In addition, a character’s double life lends itself to something that the cinema is uniquely designed to do: you can see and hear a character saying or doing something and realize that they’re thinking something completely different." "We live in a world in which nothing is as it seems," says producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas ("Maid in Manhattan" and "Mona Lisa Smile"). "We believe things at face value, but we are living in an age in which we ought to be more cautious. We should ask questions about the world around us, whether we’re receiving a diagnosis from a doctor or buying a product at the supermarket or meeting a person online." "To a certain extent, everybody lives a double life," says Academy Award ® winner Halle Berry. "We’re all complicated beings; we’re different people all the time: for example, a woman might act differently at work than she does at home. We all hide something, even from our best friends. This movie highlights that and takes it to the next level, showing what we’re capable of when we’re forced to come to terms with it." The idea for "Perfect Stranger" came out of a conversation between Goldsmith-Thomas and her husband, co-producer Daniel A Thomas. "We thought that the idea of online anonymity where anyone can be anyone was a provocative theme to explore. It’s a dangerous gamble to presume that the person we’re speaking to online is who they say they are. So, we started kicking around stories about what would happen when a person’s virtual world collides with his real world. And "Perfect Stranger" was born." EMMY and SAG Award winning actress Halle Berry was an early addition to the project. What was it that attracted her to the role? "I love playing tortured characters," says Berry. "I don’t know what that says about me, but I really love getting into the mind of someone who’s a bit buffeted, a bit battered. This character is very vulnerable, but she’s also very alive, and she finds her power little by little throughout the course of the movie. That’s something wonderful to play." Berry plays Rowena Price, a multi-layered character. "You can’t fully appreciate the complexity of Halle’s performance," says Goldsmith-Thomas, "until you go back and watch the film a second time. When you do, you realize that there were clues all along and reactions you might have missed the first go round. Essentially, she had to play this character on three different levels: one as Rowena Price, one as Katherine Pogue, and another as Veronica. We would watch her alter each performance based on which mask she was putting on. It was nothing short of remarkable." Berry describes investigative reporter Rowena Price as chameleon-like. "Because of her job as an investigative reporter, Rowena has become very good at pretending, wearing different faces, chameleon-like. For her, it’s a way to survive; she’s a woman on a mission. There’s the Rowena she is when she’s with Miles, her 'guy Friday', which is really an act. Miles has a crush on her that she doesn’t return, but she knows how to work it to get what she wants. Second, there’s Katherine: the temp she poses as at Harrison Hill’s advertising agency; she dresses differently, talks differently, has a whole different feeling to her. Finally, there’s the real Rowena: the Rowena she rarely shows, who’s in maybe five scenes in the movie." Director James Foley says Berry's performance is praiseworthy. "Halle is playing a character, and the character is acting," he points out. "We have to believe the character’s performance as well as Halle’s performance as the character. The way she was able to flip back and forth between the different aspects of her character amazed me." Co-starring in the film is Peoples Choice Award winner Bruce Willis who plays Harrison Hill. Working with him proved to be and inspiring experience for Berry. "Bruce likes to improvise a lot, flying by the seat of his pants," she says. "That was a new element for me, but really great. He had a real handle on who this guy is and what motivates him." "Bruce is not only an international movie star, he’s also a great actor," says Goldsmith-Thomas. "He grounds our movie by layering his performance with humanity." Willis's character Harrison Hill is the head of a major advertising agency. "It’s not coincidental that this film is set in an advertising agency," Goldsmith-Thomas continues. "Things are packaged as the perfect product, but we know that nothing is perfect, most especially strangers, who can present one face but can hide so many others." "Hill’s an ad man, adept at glossy packaging and persuasive spin," notes Foley, "and yet, ironically, he accepts people at face value, and is shocked when their image differs from reality. When Bruce is doing straight dramatic acting, he’s very effective. He came in, put on the right clothes, and became this character; the powerful, arrogant, lustful head of an ad agency." And a womanizer? Not according to Willis. "I don’t think any guy ever thinks of himself as a womanizer," says Willis. "I think he loves women, he’s at the height of his career as a captain of the advertising industry, and he doesn’t judge himself. I’m in my own middle age now, and I still get a big kick out of life; I think Harrison Hill also gets a big kick out of his life." Willis impressed Goldsmith-Thomas who says, "Bruce Willis is seductive and charming as Harrison Hill." Giovanni Ribisi plays Miles, Rowena's 'guy Friday'. "The way Giovanni plays the character, he’s just happy to be in Halle’s presence," says Foley. "I can understand that. I’d be Halle’s intern, too." Ribisi notes his character has two faces. "He’s the Iago character; he’s titillated by being manipulative," says Ribisi. "Like Halle's and Bruce's characters, there’s a dark underside to him, and I think that’s universal; I don't think that’s to be criticized." "Every character in this film has a secret and a different motivation that drives them to find truth," says Goldsmith-Thomas. "Miles is a puzzler; he won’t stop until all the pieces fit. Interestingly enough, Giovanni is the same way. He worked on his character tirelessly, adding dimension, humanity, and pathos. I loved watching him become Miles. I loved working with him." Ribisi says what attracted him to the role was the screenplay’s morally ambiguous storyline. "In movies," he says, "we’ve historically tended to focus on what’s good and what’s evil, but that becomes so black and white. In the rehearsal process for this film, we were talking about the fact that we’re trying to get away from that; people are more complicated. Everybody has their demons." That disquieting subject matter forms the backbone of "Perfect Stranger". Someone once said," screenwriter Todd Komarnicki explains, "that the beauty of honesty is that you don’t have to remember what you said; if you’ve told the truth, you don’t remember your cover. I don’t think people are afraid enough of the cost of dishonesty. This movie is an immorality tale; it’s about the cost of these little compromises we make with ourselves that we don’t think about, but add up to an ultimate punishment." "This is a movie about duality," Goldsmith-Thomas notes, "the face we present and the face we keep hidden." And what is director James Foley's take on the film? "This movie tries to explore the limits of human behavior; the lengths that people will go to keep the truth hidden," he says. "The French filmmaker Robert Bresson once said something like, 'The director’s job is to make visible that which you might never have seen.' That’s always stuck with me; each human being has an insight into what it is to be human that other human beings don’t. To make a film is to reveal what it is to be human. When somebody else gets it and thinks about that in a new way: that’s the ultimate thrill for me." Synopsis

How far would you go to keep a secret? When investigative New York City newspaper reporter Rowena Price learns that her long time childhood friend has not drowned but rather had been brutally murdered she immediately suspects Grace's death might be connected to powerful advertising executive Harrison Hill, with whom Grace was having a torid affair. Rowena believes Grace has been murdered after she threatened to go to Hill's very protective wife. Rowena is determined to find the truth. She decides to go undercover with the help of her tech-savvy associate, Miles Hailey. Posing as Katherine, a temp at Hill's agency, and Veronica, a girl Hill flirts with online, Rowena surrounds her prey from all sides, only to discover that she isn't the only one changing identities. The closer she gets to finding the truth, the more she sees how far people will go to protect it. Can she prove a connection to Hill?

What The Critics Say

"The casting of Berry and Ribisi is the killer punch here; audiences are kept guessing about each character's motives as tensions rise and revelations boil to the surface. The former Catwoman looks as stunning as ever in a series of steamy encounters. Fans of seductive thrillers such as "Indecent Proposal" and "Disclosure" will be right at home with "Perfect Stranger". 7/10." Jonathan Pedreira BRISBANE WHATS ON "People peek through windows, hack into computers and sneak into apartments without the slightest hesitation. We're guilty of voyeurism, too, since the primary pleasure to be found is in seeing three confident leads play off each other." Elizabeth Weitzman NEW YORK DAILY NEWS "Considering the twirliness of the story, this is a fairly straightforward film that knows where it's going and how to get there. And there's much to be admired in that." Tom Long DETROIT NEWS "For those who are interested in Berry as both an actress and screen presence, this is one of the most satisfying films she has ever made. It capitalizes on her strengths and she owns the picture, from start to finish." Mick LaSalle SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

"While the story becomes dauntingly complex as it goes, the finale resolves its multiple mysteries seamlessly. "Perfect Stranger" is the kind of polished diversion that the big studios should deliver twice a month, but don't." Colin Covert MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE "Halle Berry's strong performance and a cool twist overcomes conventional plot." Harvey S Karten COMPUSERVE "..it has a highly watchable performance by Halle Berry and a twist ending that, for once, likely will take you by surprise." William Arnold SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER "I enjoyed Berry’s seamless move in or out of her character’s identities. Ribisi just has that kind of face that telegraphs 'sleep around me with one eye open'. He could be the next Robert Downey Jr. (still hailed for playing Charlie Chaplin twenty years ago.) And Willis? This is his 'I’m still hot' movie." Victoria Alexander FILMSINREVIEW

The Verdict "Most cinemagoers generally agree that Halle Berry's popularity took a real beating with "Catwoman". It's a pity because prior to that film she had wowed audiences with roles in films such as: the psychological thriller "Gothica"; as Jinx in "Die Another Day"; as Storm in the "X-Men" trilogy and of course, her Academy Award ® winning role as the widow Leticia Musgrove in "Monster's Ball" (which resulted in Berry becoming the first African-American to win a Best Actress Oscar ®). Here in "Perfect Stranger", Berry gets a chance to be the centre of attention and provide an opportunity to show that she still has 'star power'. While there are glimpses of what drew us to her in the past, Berry's role in "Perfect Stranger" will once again divide opinions. There's no doubt that as Rowena Price she produces a role which is sassy, sexy and in the main absorbing. What lets her down on this occassion is her co-stars and, the storyline. What could have been an edge of your seat thriller is somewhat tamed by overindulgence. That doesn't mean "Perfect Stranger" is a dud! It could have been, but thanks to Berry's performance and command of her screentime, "Perfect Stranger" is raised enough notches to give it the nod. Recommended. 3 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "PERFECT STRANGER" stars .......
Oscar ® and NAACP Image Award winner Halle Berry ["Monster's Ball", "Gothica", "Catwoman" and "X-Men: The Last Stand"]; Emmy and a Golden Globe Award winner Bruce Willis ["Pulp Fiction", "The Sixth Sense", "Hostage" and "The Wrong Man"]; Richard Portnow ["Radio Days", "Father of the Bride"< Ripley's Believe It or Not" and "Made in Brooklyn"]; Gary Dourdan ["Playing God", "Alien: Resurrection", and "Imposter"]; Florencia Lozano ["Bittersweet Place"]; Patti D'Arbanville ["The Fan", "A Tale of Two Pizzas" and "World Trade Center"]; Nicki Aycox ["Double Tap", "Slap Her... She's French", "Dead Birds" and "Tom 51"]; Paula Miranda ["Choker" and "Outside Sales"] and 1999 ShoWest Newcomer of the Year Award winner Giovanni Ribisi ["Saving Private Ryan", "The Virgin Suicides", "The Gift" and "Flight of the Phoenix"] as Miles Hailey.
"PERFECT STRANGER" was .......
directed by James Foley ["Glengarry Glen Ross", "At Close Range", "The Chamber" and "After Dark, My Sweet"]; screenplay by Todd Komarnicki ["Resistance"]; production design by Bill Groom ["Money Train", "Riding In Cars With Boys", "A League of Their Own" and "The Pledge"]; director of photography by Anastas Michos A.S.C. ["The Big Kahuna", "Death to Smoochy", "The Forgotten" and "Freedomland"]; original music by Antonio Pinto ["Lord of War", "Collateral", "City of God", "Behind the Sun", "News from a Personal War", and "Central Station."] edited by Christopher Tellefsen A.C.E. ["The People vs Larry Flynt", "Birthday Girl", "Changing Lanes" and "The Village"] and costume design by Renee Ehrlich Kalfus ["The Cider House Rules", "Chocolat", "The Shipping News" and. "Ladder 49"]. Run Time 110 minutes Rated M [AUST] ©2007 - Sony Pictures - All Rights Reserved Rated [AUST] ©2007 All Rights Reserved - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark laws applied.