Last week I had a chance to see Frankie & Alice, the Halle Berry drama that’s making a late entrance into the awards season. The former Best Actress winner for Monster’s Ball gives another strong, gutsy performance as a stripper with multiple-personality disorder (her other two personas are a racist white woman and, most arrestingly, a small child). Whether or not the film will be well-received enough for Berry to be able to challenge The Kids Are All Right‘s Annette Bening and Black Swan‘s Natalie Portman remains to be seen. But I’d certainly put her on the list of eight women (along with Bening, Portman, Kids‘ Julianne Moore, Winter’s Bone‘s Jennifer Lawrence, Another Year‘s Lesley Manville, Rabbit Hole‘s Nicole Kidman, and Blue Valentine‘s Michelle Williams) that have the best shot at filling out the five Best Actress slots this year.
The movie opens Dec. 10; in the meantime, here’s a first look at the film’s poster. Click the image above to see it full-size.
so this is off topic…but all I’ve heard from the actress standpoint in the potential oscar race from Black Swan is about Natalie Portman. How is Mila Kunis in the film? Because she is the reason I’m interested in the film, however weird or unusual that may be.
I’ve heard good things about Kunis’ performance, but nothing hinting at an Oscar nomination. Though she did win an award at the Venice Film Festival for Best Young Actor/Actress.
And you’re not alone. I love Natalie Portman, but I love Mila Kunis as well and am excited to see her in the film.
bamalam, I hear Mila Kunis is better than Natalie Portman in this movie.
I’ve seen Black Swan. Both Portman and Kunis are excellent. I wouldn’t say Kunis is better. She plays the polar opposite to Portman’s girlish and sexually-repressed character. Smoldering, sexy and fun-loving. Kunis doesn’t really have an arc, but that’s how her character is written. It’s Portman’s movie through and through, but Kunis is very impressive indeed.
I would be amazed if she is somehow not nominated
Dave,
Is Frankie & Alice any good? I almost laughed when I read Berry was playing a stripper with multiple-personality disorder, one of those personalities being a racist, because it sounds like satirical Oscar bait. Like a Jenna Maroney Oscar shot on 30 Rock. But is the movie good?
I will run in the opposite direction when this movie appears…sounds like yet another bummer trying to be Deep (aka Precious). Wanna see a crazy stripper? Go to the nearest Spearmint Rhino and bring lots of $1 bills.
Kidman better be nominated is all I know! Such a great performance!
Thanks for the little review. I’m excited for the film, and I hope it doesn’t disappoint once it opens in Dec.
DAVE SHOULD LOSE HIS JOB, I SAW A PREVIEW AND SHE IS ROTTEN LIKE ALL THE OTHERS SHE MADE, SOMEONE MUST BE PAYING FOR THAT REVIEW DOING FAVORS. FORGET IT, PASS ON THIS MESS, HALLE DON’T GET IT
“Hard to Watch” based on the novel Stone Cold Bummer by Manipulate. lol
Ha! Thank you for that, fancypants.