Film Review: Halle Berry Expresses All Roles in ‘Frankie and Alice’

CHICAGO – The stunning looks of Halle Berry is always the lead whenever the entertainment media considers her. But in “Frankie and Alice,” she reminds us of why her career continues to flourish and why she is a Best Actress Oscar winner.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Berry plays a complex character ridden with the psychological burden of multiple personalities. Based on a true story, this is the type of situation that as a film could be exploited or trivialized. To the credit of the production and especially Halle Berry, it’s handled with sensitivity.

Berry portrays Frankie, a stripper in Los Angeles in 1973. There is something odd about her, as she is liable to pontificate on several bizarre angles of the profession. After picking up a guy named Cliff (Adrian Holmes), she has a mental breakdown in his presence. She switches from the personality of a streetwise stripper to a bigoted society lady, blathering about religion and the circumstances that surround her. This sudden turnaround seems to crush Frankie, as she ends up on the streets completely disoriented.

She is taken to a hospital psych ward, where she connects with a Dr. Oz (Stellan Skarsgard). He takes an interest in her and the bizarre tendencies, and through hypnosis it is revealed that the society lady named Alice and a little child named Genius coincide with Frankie’s consciousness and come out when there is any stress or trouble in her life.

There are secrets in this type of extreme psychosis and Oz works toward exposing those secrets to free the distressed Frankie. Visits with her mother (Phylicia Rashad) and sister Maxine (Chandra Wilson) yield a few background tidbits, but the real mystery is within Frankie, and could be revealed with intensive therapy. Keeping tabs on the elusive patient is the challenge and finding the key to unlock it all.

“Frankie and Alice” continues its limited release in Chicago on February 4th. See local listings for theaters and showtimes. Featuring Halle Berry, Stellan Skarsgard, Phylica Rashad, Chandra Wilson and Adrian Holmes. Directed by Geoffrey Sax. Rated “R”