Frankie & Alice

Well i had heard little and nothing about this flick and only finding out about it after i saw that Halle Berry was nominated for a golden globe and reading the review and synopsis to this hidden away little flick and found out it was a true life case of a woman with split personality disorder. Halle plays a stripper named Frankie whose little mood swings have all but frightened the crap out of her coworkers and boss. It turns out these mood swings are a lot more serious and turn out to be s.p.d. Frankie has two others sharing her tired little body, one a frightened but smart as a whip 9yr old girl who her psychiatrist Dr. Oz (Stellan Skarsgard) names genius and an racist white woman named Alice. As the movie rolls along we find out that their is a lot of history that inspired Frankie to take on these alter persona's and can be triggered by something as simple as a song on the radio. An overall good film that lot of reviewers and critics have been calling a Sybil rip off ( I don't call it that but the mental illness is the same thats for sure) Berry's nomination for the golden globe failed and wasn't won as it went to Natalie Portman's performance in Black Swan (another acting job that was well deserved of the win) however she once again pulled off a solid job along with a stellar performance in this film.

I find it hard to believe that this film could not find a distributor and stayed in a holding cell for four years. Multiple personality films have always done well (The Three Faces of Eve, Sybil) and have garnered the lead actresses in both an academy award. Halle Berry (Frankie) was outstanding in channeling the other personalities trapped inside her head. As with all split personality films there is always some tragic event that occurs in the early years of life that fosters personalities to protect the host. This film was set in the 1970s and I have to say the wardrobe and locations were pretty accurate (from what I can remember). I even found myself singing along with some of the music. The fact that a straight-jacket and hypnosis was going to be involved was a no-brainer. The constant flashbacks also did not come as a surprise, but I think that the way that Halle managed those scenes is what made them memorable. Stellan Skarsgard (Oz) is the physician who takes a personal interest in Frankie's case and is responsible for getting to the heart of the issues. Phylicia Rashad (Edna) and Chandra Wilson (Maxine) are Frankie's mother and sister who are either in denial or assisting in a cover-up, or both. It was refreshing to see a film that wasn't tethered with CGI. It's kind of rare these days. Do I think that this film could have been shown on Lifetime…., sure, but I'm glad that it wasn't. The reason why is because anytime you can get a film on the big screen that contains a decent amount of diversity of actors (that isn't about slavery or servitude) then I'm all for it (I'll get off my soapbox now). The story held my attention and there were no areas of lag time. Of course I was trying to figure out what caused the personality split from the beginning. I have to say that this one kept me guessing until the end. I think that knowing that this is a true story adds to the appeal of the film and I was thrilled that the film explained what happened to the actual people at the end. I asked a few people after the movie, what they thought of the film and they all pretty much said the same thing; they liked the film, but it wasn't what they were expecting. I concur.

Geoffrey Sax's 'Frankie and Alice' initially an to an extent follows a similar narrative structure to Nunnally Johnson's 'The Three Faces of Eve'. While the theme of dissociative identity disorder has played a key part in many movies like 'Sybil' (to name a few), I've always found it a fascinating theme. 'Frankie and Alice' isn't that different from the aforementioned films. I liked how Sax presents the 70s setting and how he captures the culture of that time period without going over the top. I also liked that this film does not merely focus on the patient but also on the therapist who's working hard to get to the root of Frankie's disorder. The best scenes are the interactions between her and Dr. Oz. Halle Berry makes a memorable comeback to films after a three year break. She is spellbinding in all three avatars and that too without having to rely on mimicry and makeup. Stellan Skarsgård is equally good in a subtle role. While 'Frankie and Alice' doesn't present anything new regarding dissociative identity disorder, it's still an interesting character study (albeit a slightly dramatized one) and makes for a good watch.

A great film and great acting in both lead roles. Must say halle berry is simply great!!! give this a watch and be surprised!!! I have no idea why this never won any awards. Its nothing like the film Sybil, that everyone thinks about when it comes to MPD.

Sometimes it's easy to dismiss things or take them for granted. Watching Halle Berry, the ageless one, performing here is a treat. And it's a big obstacle she has to overcome. Because she could have easily drifted into ridiculous with her portrayal. Unknowingly so, especially if the director wouldn't have noticed either.

But playing it the way she does, you believe her and all the sudden changes she goes through. It helps having Stellan at her side. It's also nice to see the wife of the Cosby show in this, even in a small role like this. The movie/story itself is based on a true story, but don't be put off by that. It was a story worth being told