HOLLYWOOD—The thing about a picture being shelved for quite some time is that it usually is a sign that it’s a bad picture. The drama “Frankie and Alice” starring Oscar-winner Halle Berry was initially supposed to be released back in 2011, but found itself sitting on shelves, which is a shame, because Berry’s acting in the picture is of Oscar-caliber.
She was even nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in 2011 for her performance in the film where she portrays Frankie, a black woman who suffers from dissociative identity disorder from a traumatic event that occurred to her during her childhood that was repressed. The story is based on a true-story, which only intensifies the connection the audience will share with the title character.
Frankie is a popular go-go dancer/stripper in the 70s, who is battling between her two alters: Genius, a seven-year old child, with the intelligence one could only imagine and Alice, a Southern white woman with racist tendencies that will make your skin crawl. This sets up quite an interesting dynamic in the picture.
It’s not everyday that you hear of an African-American suffering from such an illness that causes her to take on the persona of a white person who spews venom towards her own race, without realizing it. Some find the idea of a person of color being racist as almost impossible to fathom, but what Berrybrings to the character of “ Alice” is frightening to say the least. You almost believe her persona fully, looking beyond her skin tone at any given moment.
Tackling the role of the psychiatrist attempting to breakthrough to Frankie is Stellan Skarsgard, as Dr. Joseph Oswald. He has this mission to help Frankie that comes across at times as being a bit preachy in my book. The spectator might question his overall intention. “Frankie and Alice” is more a character portrait, than a narrative masterpiece. The story grips the viewer, but it’s hands down, the acting from Berry herself that truly shines throughout the movie.
The script written by Cheryl Edwards, Marko King, Mary King, Jonathan Watters, Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse is an issue of having two many cooks in the kitchen. We have a slew of characters that come in and out of Frankie’s life, that don’t really serve much of a purpose to the film. They come and they go, all the while the audience is wondering when Frankie returns to the screen. The story focuses a bit much on the things happening “around” Frankie, when it should be a further examination of what is happening “to” Frankie.
The movie is a case study about mental illness, and while it’s not the best of its kind; Berry brings life, fear, happiness, dread and a range of other emotions to a character that could have been deemed one-note by any other actress. While “Frankie and Alice” may not be a must-see for its plot, it’s a must-see forBerry’s performance that shines on more notes than one can count.
