| Review by Louise
Keller; July 16th 2003
A challenging and intriguing film that never lets
you off the hook until the very last frame, Perfect
Strangers is for those who like their love stories
wild and way off centre. While at times the storyline
veers dangerously to the edge of credibility, the
film never loses its appeal and we are never sure
what is going to happen next. Written, produced
and directed by award-winning New Zealand filmmaker
Gaylene Preston, the film is superbly shot and produced
and its haunting music score is an integral part
of its fabric. The complexity of the script demands
much from the very small cast: Sam Neill and Rachel
Blake are superb, offering myriads of colours from
a never-ending palette. The blend of reality, fantasy,
adventure and romance is a beguiling one, and the
fact that Melanie's protagonist is such a down to
earth, no-nonsense type, compounds the impact of
the events. When Melanie meets the stranger in the
bar, after a long day's work, there's something
different about him from the other men she meets.
He lights her cigarette, their eyes meet, and when
he answers 'Italy' to her question about where his
shoes come from, as they dance, we can sense the
appeal immediately. 'Your place or mine?' he asks;
'Yours - I've been to mine,' she answers, quick
as a flash. But her elation soon turns to terror
as darkness, claustrophobia and the incessant sound
of water pummels her brain. Echoing themes from
John Fowles' The Collector, Melanie realises she
is an object of desire to her captor, and the combination
of romantic allure with forceful coercion is frightening
and bizarre, especially given their isolated location.
Wonderfully incongruous images capture our imagination.
Like the scene when Melanie is immersed in a very
full bath surrounded by white burning candles, while
the stranger stands in the kitchen next door chopping
off the head of the chicken they are about to eat
for dinner. Clothes are laid out for her - a silk
camisole, a black dress and pearls- and he has poetry
and promises as his offering, rejecting sexual advances
until his love is reciprocated. New Zealand's wild
West Coast makes a perfect setting, with its stony
beaches, jagged rocks and stormy grey waves: the
location moans and groans, just like the characters.
I like the inventive costumes, which utilise every-day
clothing to suit the circumstances. As the plot
thickens and events become more and more chilling
(literally), the relationship between the characters
takes an unexpected turn.
A chilling story about obsession, Perfect Strangers
puts a dent in the mould of fairy tale romance by
allowing the prey to become the hunter: the ingredients
of love and fear are roughly stirred to deliver
a magical combo.
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