Customer Reviews

Perfect Strangers

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Don't listen to those giving it a one *. Try to watch this movie on a big screen TV in a dark room with a decent sound system. I guarantee you will be lost for 2 hours. Visuals are just stunning! You won't see visuals like this in your typical run of the mill Hollywood flick. And don't worry about the plot, its complexity , or lack thereof..you will be totally immersed in this movie. There are critics who think there have to be twists and turns in the plot, propane tanks exploding, cars jumping off bridges, and other things to make a movie watchable. Pay no attention to them. Just go and watch, you won't be disappointed.

I agree with the reviewers who pronouce this movie "bizarre" and "surreal". My response is, "And is that a problem?" At first this film masquerades as a thriller, but while you enjoy, watch closely. Perfect Strangers pivots seamlessly into a completely different and strikingly original film. Set against archetypal images of the sea and the epic-scale landscape of western New Zealand, this is a two character film, built on one man and one woman's mental images of the ideal romantic partner. The film defies categorization -- part black comedy, part romance, part thriller, part psychological study, with a tad of social commentary on the side. If you like your thrillers straight up and your film genres clean and neat, then just skip this film. It will infuriate you.

Rachel Blakely is terrific. Her performance makes her richly simple character accessible to all of us on the outside looking in and feeling a little like voyeurs in the process. And Sam Neill, ah........, Sam Neill. He makes 50s look incredibly sexy without any effort at all. His expressive face drives whole sections of the narrative and his nuanced performance is, in a word, great. Pardon me while I hyperventilate.

If you like the movie, then check out Gaylene Preston's director's commentary on the DVD. You'll like the film even more. Fine soundtrack too.

I saw this movie on Air New Zealand last summer and it still haunts me. Sometimes you are so tired on that flight you are not sure if you are dreaming or if it is the movie, but if I remember right, it has beautiful scenery and strange characters doing odd things. Love conquers all, right, even death in this case. A must see if you like odd little character films with a dash of thriller.

If you're reading this review, you probably see a lot more movies than I do. Today I chose PERFECT STRANGERS because of my sentimental attachment to all things New Zealand, and it didn't disappoint me.

The movie starts with a routine plot -- Melanie, a working-class New Zealand girl, goes home from the pub with a sexy stranger. "Home" turns out to be a remote island and the sexy stranger turns out to be mad, bad and dangerous to know. While trying to escape, Melanie wounds him fatally.

From there the plot goes bizarro -- or perhaps, just deeply disturbed. Although it's twisted, this movie is not heavily plotted or deeply suspenseful, nor is there intense dialogue to occupy the viewer's attention. That feels like a good thing in this movie because there are other elements to absorb you.

The first attention-grabber is New Zealand native son Sam Neill. He frightens and reassures with mesmerizing tone and expression. His best line, the one in which his obsession is revealed, is his sine qua non for sex: "You have to love me! Do you love me?" The rest of the cast (Australian Rachael Blake, New Zealander Joel Tobeck) give reasonably convincing performances though without the depth of character seen in a more elaborately written movie like Whale Rider.

The second delight is the sound track. The New Zealand film industry is a wonderful showcase for local musical talent, and I was pleased to hear tracks by Neil Finn (Crowded House, Split Enz), Don McGlashan (Front Lawn, The Muttonbirds), Barry Saunders (The Warratahs), Janet Roddick (Six Volts) and R & B guitarist Hammond Gamble. There is even a Puccini aria by Dame Malvina Major performing with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. The music is well integrated to the rest of the movie, and I'd watch the movie again just to listen more closely to the track.

It's easy to film a visually satisfying movie in New Zealand (The Piano, The Lord Of The Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Full Screen Edition), Heavenly Creatures) and this movie is certainly moody and beautiful. The cinematographer, Alun Bollinger, worked on those projects and knows how to get the most from the sometimes daunting land- and seascapes. You'll need to actually watch this movie, as much of it happens visually and not with dialogue.

Writer/Producer/Director Gaylene Preston put together a package that was just ambitious enough for her resources, and for me it all worked beautifully. I've admitted my biases so while I recommend this movie, please decide for yourself whether it might work for you. If you DO choose it, be sure to stay for the unexpected ending: it's done in that campy Down Under style (Strictly Ballroom; The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert).

Altogether a rewarding little movie from an ambitious little country.

Perfect Strangers blends suspense and fantasy to form a haunting thriller. Rachael Blake plays Melanie, a working class woman in rural New Zealand who has a night at the pub and then goes home with the wrong (!) man. Sam Neill plays the unnamed stranger who kidnaps Melanie and takes her to his remote island, where she must deal with the man's frightening dream world. The story changes direction midway when Melanie takes matters into her own hands and begins to have oddly passionate feelings for the man.

Written and directed by New Zealander Gaylene Preston, this film is bizarre and surreal, and yet surprisingly likeable. Blake is the star, giving a dynamite performance as a hard-bitten good-time girl who survives disaster to live in her own make-believe world. Neill's role is smaller, but he is, as always, completely mesmerizing in a kind of dual role of tormentor/lover. You'll find lots of surprises in this curious little psychological thriller.

Bored on a Friday night, I pulled this from the shelf noting Sam Neil on the cover. In reading the little blurb on the back, I was further intrigued. It's hard to explain it, but it reminded me of The Secretary (Spade). There is this consuming and compelling idea that takes the viewer at first so slowly you don't notice it until it is clutching you tightly, and you are grasping in return. You almost envy Melanie's situation in a very strange way.

This is a lovely little "quirky" movie with a 50-something Sam Neill proving once again that age does not limit sexiness and appeal. Though probably not for everyone-- your mind must be OPEN to other than normal possibilities. I found the landscape and naturalness of the photography to lend itself well to the story and atmosphere. And, it is hard to beat the locations of New Zealand for viewing and variety. Cudos to the new film company, Huntaway Films for their first feature film!

A woman named Melanie (Rachael Blake) goes out w/ friends, has a bit too much to drink, and goes home w/ a total stranger (Sam Neill from THE OMEN 3, IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS, EVENT HORIZON). Unfortunately, "home" is many nautical miles away on a deserted island! Melanie is held captive by this insanely-obsessed man, leading to much weirdness, death, and romance (!!). I like PERFECT STRANGERS. I wasn't expecting anything special, but was pleasantly surprised. If you hate the typical, mooshy, lovey-dovey stuff, then this one should satisfy...

This movie wasn't what I expected or even wanted. However, it was compelling and interesting to watch. I didn't like where the plot ended up going, but hey, I didn't write the script and just because I like happy endings is no reason to criticize an otherwise well done movie. I was on the edge of my seat for most of it. Not the best movie out there, but I'd recommend it.

This is a kiwi Movie about a Man who meets a girl in a bar and charms her into returning to his place. He becomes slightly obsessed and it's then about her plans for escape.

This is yet another great movie from New Zealand.