Frankie & Alice

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
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Common Sense says

age 17+

Multiple-personality drama is gritty but well-acted.

R 2014 101 minutes
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age 16+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this often-gritty drama is based on a true case of multiple personality disorder and doesn't shy away from violent and disturbing images (including a little blood), sex and sexual situations, strong language (including "s--t" and "f--k"), cigarette and pot smoking, and drinking. The story is sometimes hokey, but Halle Berry gives a strong performance, and her character ultimately tries to become a stronger, better person. If older teens can stomach the unsettling material, they may find some inspiration here.

Community Reviews

khan2705
khan2705 Adult
February 12, 2011
age 16+

very good acting by Halle Berry.

FRANKIE & ALICE is a moving psychological drama based on the harrowing true story of Frankie Murdoch (Halle Berry), a woman suffering with multiple personality disorder in early 1970s Los Angeles. Directed by Geoffrey Sax, and shot by by Newton Thomas Sigel (Valkyrie, X-Men, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, The Usual Suspects), the film also stars Stellan Skarsgård (upcoming The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), Phylicia Rashad (For Colored Girls) and Chandra Wilson ("Grey's Anatomy"). well i was unaware of this movie untill i saw it on a movie website, in the best actress nominee prediction section, and i was like wow Halle Berry. then i saw its trailer and after that there came a shocking thing, it got nominated for Golden Globe in the same category and than got no nomination in the Academy Awards. when i saw this movie, i knew why it didn't. well this movie is kind of a thriller drama or should i say psychological thriller drama. Berry plays a woman with Multiple personality disorder. the movie has this interesting story but the movie itself isn't that great as Berry's performance. movie is not that bad or below average, its just average. this movie recieved very bad reviews from critics. why so harsh? i know it isn't excellent movie but still critics sometimes crosses line too much. Direction of this movie is not much strong, need to work hard. i don't know but i think he was confused about this movie, seemed like that. screenplay was ok, not bad. but very spaced and sometime very thin whihc creates some problems. cinematography is fine, art direction is fine. costumes are nice, since its period and Berry is shown as a bar dancer. but too much of short clothes of course. editing is kind of below average. plot is ok, but its not that interesting and lacks thrill or fun. story is nice but very much predictable and towards the middle it gets very much of an end, so the movie literally ends before the actuall end. the flashbacks and past are shown in a good way but the connection of those with today really felt somewhat not much connected to me. i'll first talk about the supporting cast sine alot is to be said about Berry. Stellan Skarsgård is there and he is the psychologist of Berry tring to go deep into her past and get information from her Multiple Personalities, he is ok in his role just not great. but this part looks good on him. Phylicia Rashad stars as her mother, not much shown but she acts good in that limited time. i am certainly not sure about my Grey's Anatomy sweetheart actress Chandra Wilson, is she her sister or Aunt but she is again shown the least but good. coming on to Halle Berry, she reminded me somewhat of her part in Gothica, minus the multiple personalites. but this part she did very naturaly. her performance of the two persoanlities, the child and mature lady are outstanding, brilliant. she all in all did excellent. some places she seemed kind of over done little bit. she is convincing and makes you feel very pitty for her. i simply don't think of anyone else playing this part good as she did. hats off. i don't know whether or not i should recommend it to you since i am not that much sure about that but if you wanna watch this movie, do it for Berry. this movie which seems like a thriller isn't really one, it doesn't have enough drama except one or two scenes where i really got wet eyes, it has psychological stuff and the past flashbacks but these are not really connected with each other so as i said earlier i am not that sure and that directior of this movie might be confused. its not a good movie just average but for the attempt and Berry's performance and somewhat a bit i am over rating it i'll go for 3 stars.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
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What's the Story?

In 1950s Savannah, something terrible occurs in the life of a teen girl. Years later, in 1970s Los Angeles, grown-up Frankie (Halle Berry) works as a stripper. Strange things keep happening to her. She has occasional blackouts. A crossword puzzle is mysteriously solved, and she finds a second closet, full of expensive clothes, behind her regular closet. After one of her blackouts leads to violence, she goes to the hospital. The staff quickly dismisses her, but one doctor, "Oz" (Stellan Skarsgard), diagnoses her with a multiple personality disorder. He begins working with her, identifying her different personalities and their sources. But can they pinpoint the painful events from Frankie's past that are at the root of the trouble?

Is It Any Good?

FRANKIE & ALICE may look like an attempt to win another Oscar for Berry, and she does give a powerful performance here. The movie has her switching back and forth between her three personalities -- raging, confused, terrified, but holding it all together with her unflappable façade. In one early scene, she explains how she manages to work as a stripper: She just closes her eyes and pretends that none of it is there.

But the movie feels a bit rushed and simplified. Director Geoffrey Sax opts to tell his story with a lurid, soapy emphasis, reveling in crude and shocking details before tracking the story's core friendship between Frankie and her doctor. Oz is drawn as a quirky outsider, much like Geoffrey Rush's character in The King's Speech, but he has less time to develop a rounded personality. Still, this lowdown, earthy presentation is far preferable to a snooty, preachy one, and viewers who enjoy the movie will find Frankie a memorable and affecting character.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's scenes of violence. What's the difference between this kind of violence and the kind you might see in an action movie?

  • Frankie seems to use drinking, smoking, sex, and drugs to deal with her problems. What are the consequences of that kind of behavior/thinking in real life?

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