Film Reviews

Catwoman

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Benjamin Bratt
• Details: US / 110 mins / (12PG).

Although it's only a couple of years since she snagged an Oscar for her arresting performance in Monster's Ball, since then Halle Berry has apparently been on a one woman crusade to wreak havoc on her own career. Her latest attempt to derail is the supremely misguided Catwoman, a comic book adaptation so fragile that it makes its dime store source material look as weighty as Ulysses. Berry plays Patience Price, a graphic designer at a cosmetics company which is run with ruthless efficiency by George Hedare (Lambert Wilson) and his missus, Laurel (Sharon Stone). One inexplicably silly encounter with her boss' heavies and an Egyptian pussy (no laughing at the back) and Patience has been transformed into Catwoman, a one woman crime fighting machine with a natty line in a figure hugging suits which leave very little to the imagination. And wouldn't you know, it isn't long before our female avenger realises that her employers are up to some dastardly tricks...
That figure-hugging costume aside, there's precious little to recommend Catwoman. Completely misjudging the mood and tone of a film of this nature, Catwoman wheels around in a confused fashion, the coherency of the narrative being sacrificed in favour of shallow stylistics and incomprehensible editing. Stone looks like she's having a good time, especially when it comes to upping the bitch ante, but that's not really enough reason to sacrifice two hours of your life

Review by Garreth Murphy