In watching the curvy Oscar-winning Halle Berry don the skin tight suit in the sassy anti-superhero saga Catwoman, one must admit that this special eye candy is something that cannot be denied. And director Pitof does in fact lend this picture its glossy and mysterious allure in a unique manner that's inescapable to ignore. Beyond these couple of minor observations, this cosmetic kitty with the conflicting personality doesn't quite cut it as the escapist comic caper it could have been.

Catwoman (2004) Warner Brothers
1 hour 30 minutes.
Starring: Halle Berry, Benjamin Bratt, Lambert Wilson, Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Alex Borstein. Director: Pitof

In watching the curvy Oscar-winning Halle Berry don the skin tight suit in the sassy anti-superhero saga Catwoman, one must admit that this special eye candy is something that cannot be denied. And director Pitof does in fact lend this picture its glossy and mysterious allure in a unique manner that's inescapable to ignore. Beyond these couple of minor observations, this cosmetic kitty with the conflicting personality doesn't quite cut it as the escapist comic caper it could have been.

Let's just say that Berry's wily whiskers as the conniving feline femme fatale were played by predecessors armed with better material on a smaller stage. Berry truly has the bouncy body and sensual soul to portray this hot-blooded hairball heroine. However, the likes of past kitten cuties Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, Lee Meriweather, and Michelle Pffeiffer need not worry about losing any sleep over Berry's coveted role as the calculating top cat.



It's really unfair to saddle all the blame on Berry for this tepid and tired movie that has all the appeal of a box of stale Tender Vittles. The fingers (in this case the paws) should be pointed at John Brancato and Mike Ferris who have trouble making Berry's viable vixen come alive in a stilted story that feels needlessly generic. As mentioned previously, Pitof helms a movie that looks good on the outside but there's much to be desired as far as the pedestrian direction is concerned.

Berry plays Patience Phillips, a put upon graphic artist struggling to get by to make ends meet. She toils for the Hedare Beauty company, a seedy outfit dealing in cosmetics. Patience's boss is a villainous cad named George Hedare (Lambert Wilson). His partner-in-crime is his bitter wife Laurel (Sharon Stone), an attractive but aging fortysomething with a major chip on her shoulder. As a tandem, the ruthless couple diligently creates a cream product that bucks the aging process - they call it Beau-line and it needs to be applied on the face daily in order for it to work its inexplicable magic. However, the unpredictable Beau-line has its faulty setbacks and that can never be a good sign for marketing strategies for the company, now can it?

Unfortunately for meek employee Patience, she stumbles upon this secret and her safety is jeopardized. Soon she is extinguished

Frank Ochieng

(c) Frank Ochieng 2005