Suspense and mystery get out of hand in both ‘Disturbia’ and ‘Stranger’
“Perfect Stranger”
Rated R, Grade B-
In this slathered mystery, everyone has secrets.
And they are all dirty ones. This dirtiness is presumably supposed to make the film more provocative, but sometimes it just makes the film too sensational. It’s like the director (James Foley, “Confidence”) was trying to slide as much sliminess, and sexiness, down the audience’s throat as he could. Thank you, Mr. Foley. I think I’ve had enough.
Halle Berry (“X-Men: The Last Stand”) tackles another sensual role as a tough reporter who goes undercover to expose the murderous dealings of a powerful advertising executive (Bruce Willis, “Grindhouse”).
Berry’s character assumes a variety of identities on her quest for the truth, continually sucking her into deeper trouble. Spying, lying and inquiring are just a few of her daily tasks, right after having hot sex, wearing slinky dresses and joining naughty Internet chat rooms.
I know I sound condescending writing about this film, but all the actors actually do a substantial job with the material they have, most notably Giovanni Ribisi (“The Other Sister”), playing a quirky computer whiz.
I almost thought this film would work better on the Lifetime television network. Much like Berry’s body, the storyline for this film simply won’t quit showing off dozens of seductive curves. And with such a whiplash-inducing twist at the end, “Perfect Stranger” loses most of its foundation for reality.
The film gives a strong aura of depth and mystery in some scenes, but it gets wobbly after so many outlandish surprises. Featuring a dazzling motif of the human eye as the dangerous portal for our secrets, “Perfect Stranger” shocks at times, but it doesn’t dazzle as a whole.
“Disturbia”
Rated PG-13, Grade C
In the first scene of this film, happy teenager Kale (Shia LaBeouf, “The Greatest Game Ever Played”) is fishing with his dad on a sunny afternoon. They share a bonding moment while casting their fishing lines into the river trying to reel in what they can. That’s kind of what “Disturbia” does.
It casts the audience off into suspense, but it doesn’t wait long to reel us back into calm rationale. Then before you know it, it’s time to cast us off again. “Disturbia” follows this formula of many previous thriller films, making the audience yearn for something more original.
The plot is reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 classic, “Rear Window.” When Kale is put under house arrest, he passes the time watching his neighbors through binoculars and camcorders. It takes a while for the plot to pick up steam, as the kid suspects one of his neighbors of murder.
A physical game of cat and mouse begins as Kale, with the help of his tech-savvy friends, tries to outwit his mysterious neighbor.
“Disturbia” is best for a teenage audience because one, it features young stars; two, it doesn’t make you think too hard; and three, it bounces frequently, like a teenager, into different moods.
Mixing in comedic, romantic and dramatic storylines in addition to the suspense gives the film an unorganized, schizophrenic quality. It’s almost as if the director (D.J. Caruso, “Taking Lives”) said, “Let’s make sure to include romance, sex appeal, technology, comedy and family dynamics on top of all the suspense to make sure the teenage audience remains entertained.” Someone should have told Mr. Caruso that less is more.
Casey T. Allen is the resident movie expert. Contact him at caseyal@cc.usu.edu.