Perfect Strangers

A very current subject treated in a very likeable way through a conversational dramedy that can be very urgent at times, but also maintains an evaluative distance through a number of light elements and deliberately exaggerated escalation. The final twist may not be worth thinking about or taking seriously in relation to the overall message, but I really enjoyed the course of the film, got to know the characters very quickly, and it flashed a minimal warning light in my head that I've seen this before somewhere else... 75% (02/18/2017)

How much do we really know about our loved ones? And how much do we even want to know about them? At first glance, Perfect Strangers is an ordinary conversational piece with an imaginative primary impulse that slowly but surely crystallizes from an initial childish game to a dense drama in which each successive message or phone call can turn the supposed reality one hundred and eighty degrees. Each new revelation tries to trump the last, and the hypocrite of the year contest is in full swing. The film offers some surprising and emotionally powerful moments (the old men on the balcony), but the biggest surprise comes at the end. Chillingly humorous to the point of being humorously chilling! (03/21/2020)

An Italian single-location film that was surprisingly enjoyable. I find games like truth or dare pathetic, but this version enhanced by cellphones was downright suicidal. For example, I'd love to see Sofia's reaction if she found out with whom daddy shared their private conversation. The creators did an excellent job portraying the individual characters and I really enjoyed the conclusion which unraveled the alternative version of the story. I was completely satisfied. (01/06/2020)

An excellent Italian conversational comedy that gets progressively more and more dramatic. The main idea is very original and I'm sure that many of us have thought about how such an evening might turn out in our case. The film makes you think about how many secrets we actually have and how much we pretend to be somobody else in front of the others. (07/10/2023)

I was reminded of the dialogue from the sitcom Black Books: "Do you remember who all was at that dinner?" "I don't. Him and his friends. You know, the sort of people who talk about salad for five hours." Which indirectly captures the problem with Perfect Strangers. I didn't care about the characters. With one bright exception, it's just a bland gathering of upper-middle-class Italian hypocrites whose standard topics are food, drink, vacations, health, and each other's relationships. What then happens to these two-legged Elle catalogues as a result of their own boredom and disenchantment is truly irrelevant. So what can you do with them. Moreover, the whole thing is really just a stage play, with the film format bringing absolutely nothing extra to the table. For a truly bitter tragicomedy that can work formally within the limited space of a single apartment, I'd instead invite you to join the Hajdu family party in It's Not the Time of My Life. (07/28/2017)