Halle Berry plumps for another trashy thriller with Perfect Stranger, a tawdry affair about an investigative reporter. When her childhood friend, Grace, is killed, Rowena (Berry) goes undercover in the office of ad boss Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis), with whom Grace was having an affair. Nothing is certain in this twistathon that sheds doubt and suspicion on each of its characters. It's all incredibly silly, although Giovanni Ribisi is enjoyable as Rowena's rather peculiar friend Miles.

As is often the way with low-rent thrillers, Perfect Stranger starts off reasonably enough. There's intrigue and anticipation as Rowena and reporter pal Miles, plot to expose Harrison Hill as a philanderer and potential murderer. False identities, computer hacking and excessive flirtation are all called into play, and it's staple, watchable stuff. It's also refreshing to see a hard drinking, tough-talking heroine, but after about the fifteenth "f**k", it begins to seem contrived. As does the erotic content. Grace met her lover on a website chatroom, so Rowena must get down and dirty online.

"INCREASINGLY RIDICULOUS PLOTTING"

There are numerous lingering shots of Berry's curvy form as Miles salivates quietly, although Berry has more sexual tension with Ribisi than with Willis. There is entertainment to be had here, but it's mostly at the expense of the film's rambling, increasingly ridiculous plot. Perfect Stranger is most likely to be appreciated by late-night cinemagoers as boozy as its central characters: not having a clue what's going on might just help.

Perfect Stranger is released in UK cinemas on Friday 13th April 2007.