Perfect Strangers * * *

I could tell you how all this ends up but that would be a spoiler so I won’t.  But I don’t know why I care, because whatever I tell you won’t spoil it as much for you as the film does itself.

There's something wrong with this meal.
(Damn right!)

     The revelations in the end of this film was enough to make me want to throw my take-away empty coffee cup at the screen.  What a disservice it does to itself!

     I’ve always thought the weakest, most pathetic plot device in any drama is  “it was all a dream”.  Well, this doesn’t go that low, but it’s not far from it.

     However, up until the last ten minutes this is a very good drama and a lot of fun.  It’s hugely dialogue driven so if, like me, you don’t speak Italian, you’re going to have to read a whole lot of subtitles.

      Seven friends have a dinner party. They’re in the now-established stage of life (fortyish).  You know that stage where your parents are getting old and fragile, your kids are getting independent, your career is very important to you, your relationship is either getting stronger or getting tested, whilst your physical attractiveness is getting eclipsed.  The eclipse of the moon is symbolically used through this drama.

     Witty discussion and revelation about the characters give us insight. The conversations turn to trust and what secrets are hidden and protected by your mobile phone.  Would you let everyone listen to the conversations you have and read the texts you receive on your mobile?  I would, but I wouldn’t let you anywhere near that locked file on the USB on my key ring. (Whoops, did I just say that out loud?)

      As the night progresses the phones ring and the texts arrive and the revelations commence. Loyalty, fidelity, trust and honesty are all put up for questioning.

    It progresses beautifully to a truly disturbing crescendo.  Some of the things that are happening we can believe are true but the final “twist” (I use the word with much generosity), leaves us wondering if we should give a damn about these people or if we have just been used.

    Perfect Strangers is a good drama that deserves a better ending - for it’s own sake and ours.