[Movie Review] Perfect Strangers (2016) : How "We know each other so well" turns into...
By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - April 16, 2018
I was actually not planning to post any movie review in the meantime, (still trying to finish the Singapore series post *finger-crossed) but this movie completely got into my mind and has haunted me since last night. And you know, when there's a great movie that can do me any damage like that, I can barely wait to share it.
credit: pinterest
Italian title
credit: opl.it
I first knew about this Italian movie from twitter yesterday morning, I don't remember which account recommended it, but I was attracted right away. The account did mention that he/she watched the Spanish version (yes, they remade it with the Spanish title "Perfectos Desconocidos") but he/she also heard that the Italian version is waaaaaay better), so I googled it and found out that the movie has earned a number of critical acclaim. The movie soon had its spot in my "to-watch-list". I didn't expect to watch it in the near future, as I still had a lot of entries queuing in my list. But, somehow, an unknown force (read: my impulsiveness) pushed me into watching it last night, and since then, I can't stop thinking about it. o.o
"Seven long-time friends (three married couples and a divorcee) are having a dinner. They decide, as a playful game, to put each one's mobile phone on the table and reveal every text message or phone call they would receive that evening, to prove that nobody has anything to hide. Hilarity and drama ensue together as everyone's secrets are unveiled and the seven friends find themselves perfect strangers to each other. " - Wikipedia
It is actually very rare to find how such a simple story, just a casual dinner among friends, could become a very strong premise and was successfully developed into a very good movie. The whole movie revolves around the dinner, the everyday conversations among childhood friends with their wives who have become good friends too, with every ringtone slowly building up the climax while unfolding the secrets layer by layer, and how those dirty little secrets eventually affect them.
I really like the pace of the movie set by the director, like I said, it is slowly building up, from a casual chit-chat to serious confrontation, step by step, one secret to another, and it is arranged so perfectly, that I just naturally went along with the flow. I started off by watching relaxedly, and I ended up getting as tense as the characters in the movie.
Oh, and I am also totally in love with the way they shot the movie, the movement of the camera, it's so natural that it made me feel like I was there too, sitting at the same table as them, since the cameramen did really good job in circling around the dining table and capturing everyone's expression without leaving out anybody.
As for the actors, I don't think I have anything much to say about them, except that they are sooo exceptional. Each character is played really well, and all looked incredibly real, as if they're just being themselves in the movie.
Every character is also portrayed in equal portion, with their own distinctive perspective, that somehow gives the impression that no one was superior or inferior to the other, and that everyone can have secrets. Hidden secrets which give you the illusion that you think you know someone like the back of your hand. Until they open up, or until they are found out, the someone you think you know completely can become "perfect strangers".
My favorite quotes of the movie are by the married couple Eva and Rocco who became the host of the dinner:
Eva:
"We have everything in here [smartphones]. It's the black box of our lives. How many couples would split up if they looked at each other's phones?"
Rocco: (of why he thinks they shouldn't play the game)
"Because we're breakable... all of us, some more than others. You're right. this [phone] has become our black box. It's got everything inside. Perhaps too much. And it's wrong to play around with it."
I like the idea of the movie, the message that it's trying to deliver. Some secrets are meant to be kept hidden, just like a Pandora's box that will only have disastrous effect once opened, while some secrets can also make you realize how that someone is really feeling deep down inside. Some may keep secrets because they are afraid they will be judged, some keep secrets because they want to be needed. Sometimes we think we know, but we actually know nothing. That maybe what it takes is only to sit down and have some talk, opening up to one another, rather than letting the secrets gradually grow into a "time-bomb".
