SnoopyStyle
Frankie (Halle Berry) is a stripper with multiple personality disorder in 1970s. After an incident, she seeks help from Dr. Oz (Stellan Skarsgård). She lives with her mother Edna Murdoch (Phylicia Rashad) and sister Maxine (Chandra Wilson). She is haunted by memories and forgotten traumas. She disrupts Paige Prescott's wedding and gets thrown in jail. She gets Dr. Oz to evaluate her. She starts to remember her work as the Prescotts' maid and an illicit affair with Paige's brother.This is built for Halle Berry to do some acting work but it isn't much more than that. The secret memories aren't that compelling. It becomes one acting scene from Halle to another. There is an intriguing white racist personality which digs a little deeper and is something different. The story has no drive and no tension.
anitalansing-40-581915
This is the movie in which Halle Berry should have won the Oscar instead of Monster's Ball. The many personalities that she displayed within the movie were realistic and believable. Berry demonstrated hurt, pain, confusion, and delirium. Excellent acting job.The story's plot was so-so. I couldn't understand exactly what was the trauma that caused Frankie to split into different people. How was she able to hold down a job? Even though it was just a sleazy exotic dancer job, how could Frankie perform and dance in an environment filled with Black people when racist Alice was lurking about with her persistent fear of Negros? Also, why did Frankie's sister dislike Frankie so much? What did Frankie do to her? Overlooking the storyline, my focus was on Berry's acting. Top notch. I am sorry it took over four years for the film to be released for nationwide viewing, but it was worth the wait. Halle Berry has shown in this movie that she can act with the best of them....good job Halle.
Emma Dinkins
I did not realize that Frankie and Alice was a 2010 film until I looked it up at IMDb. Although, I did notice while viewing the film that Halle looked incredible and youthful as the lead character in the title role of Frankie. This is the second time that Ms. Berry has been on screen as an exotic dancer, she was less memorable in that short lived role in The Last Boyscout. Frankie Murdock (Halle Berry) comes across as someone who knows what she has to do to survive her circumstances how to pick a mark to get paid and even hands out vocational advice to coworkers. We find out however, through her erratic behavior it is revealed that she is not as well put together as she first seems. I knew from the trailer that the film dealt with multiple personality disorder or whatever is the current clinical name for split personalities, so the film The Three Faces of Eve came to mind as I attentively watched the story unfold. Through a series of flashbacks we see Frankie as a child and a young woman and eventually learn and understand the root of her mental illness as she undergoes treatment with Dr. Oz (Stellan Skarsgard). I would love to see Mr. Skarsgard step outside of his character, he has this Zoolander approach to acting, no matter what persona he is portraying it's always the same look. Ms. Berry on the other hand was on point she was emotionally engaging, showing a range that was both compelling and evoked compassion for what her character had endured. Her personality was splintered; her experiences caused her coping mechanisms into overdrive. Halle Berry proves that the title of 'Oscar winner' is well deserved. She played the role very convincingly with Oz and against the other key characters in the film her mother Edna (Phylicia Rashad) and her sister Maxine (Miranda Bailey oops, I mean Chandra Wilson). I enjoyed this story because it was interesting and not a new construct, it was nice to see the bad guy in the usual places, but to find a completely unexpected bad guy in this film was bittersweet. The first half hour or so became a bit annoying with all the jumping around, but not enough to reduce the entertainment value.
scott_e_klein
In this movie, Halle Barry's character is Frankie Murdoch; and one of her consulting pysch doctors is a character portrayed by actor Matt Frewer of NBC's The A-Team fame. He also played Murdoch, as in Howling Mad Murdoch...very subtle, guys...not bad. Im also curious whether the Academy will put her up for another Oscar nod or not...I'm just saying. When I went to see this, I thought it was going to be more like that final movie of Brittany Murphy and Michael Douglas, by like a previous reviewer, I felt this was not her best work...It just seemed forced, un-natural, and stilted, and I know she is a much better actress than that. I did enjoy seeing Phylicia Rashad and Matt Frewer in action, as they did not disappoint.
AD
