| Variety
By David Stratton
A woman kidnapped by a secret admirer turns the
tables on her captor with unexpected results in
"Perfect Strangers," an intriguing, virtually
unclassifiable romantic thriller fantasy. Centering
on another fine performance from Rachael Blake,
the Aussie actress in "Lantana," and featuring
an enigmatic turn by Sam Neill (in his first Kiwi
based film since "The Piano" 10 years
ago), Gaylene Preston's generally taut and well
directed pic is her best work in film to date and
should result in solid business in Australasia with
every chance for arthouse and ancillary in other
territories.
Thematically, "Strangers" has links to
Preston's accomplished first feature, "Mr.
Wrong" (1984), a supernatural yarn in which
a woman was menaced by a mysterious man. Both elements
resurface here, but in a fresh, updated approach.
Melanie (Blake) lives alone, works in a fish and
chips shop in a small city and spends her nights
in bars where she and her girlfriends (Robyn Malcolm,
Madeleine Sami) regularly pick up men. Lonely and
unfulfilled, she drunkenly allows herself to be
picked up by a handsome stranger (Neill) whose name
she never discovers.
Opting to go back to his place, Melanie is surprised
when the stranger takes her to a boat, where he
offers her champagne before she falls asleep. She
awakens to find they are at sea, heading for a small
island where the man apparently owns a small cabin.
Though she's concerned about not showing up at work,
she allows the man to prepare a candlelit dinner
for her.
Although Melanie is sexually willing, the man refuses
to go to bed with her, insisting that she love him
and marry him. He reveals that he knows all about
her life and, fancying himself a Prince Charming,
wants to "rescue" her. When she scoffs
at him, things turn nasty.
Next, in the first of several unsettling reverses,
Melanie turns the tables on the man, stabbing him
in the stomach with a cooking knife. Almost immediately
she realizes that, if he dies, she has no way of
getting off the island, so she sets about helping
staunch the blood.
Several twists and turns follow, including the
re-introduction of Bill (Joel Tobeck), who was briefly
seen in the bar. Pic ends with an epilogue which
draws together all the strands and moods of the
film.
Blake is sensational as the woman who proves to
be a survivor, while Neill brings his customary
charm, plus a dash of menace, to the role of the
obsessive would-be lover. As the third participant
in what is virtually a three-handed romance -- albeit
a very strange one -- Tobeck is extremely effective,
successfully transforming what at first seems to
be a boozy, uncouth loudmouth into a more rounded
character.
"Perfect Strangers" is aces in all technical
departments, handsomely photographed in Scope by
Alun Bollinger and with a soundtrack that effectively
conveys tension and shifts in mood.
Camera (color, widescreen), Alun Bollinger; editor,
John Gilbert; music, Plan 9; production designer,
Joe Bleakley; art director, Jeanette Goode; costume
designer, Helen Bollinger; sound (Dolby Digital),
Ken Saville, Tim Prebble, Michael Hedges; line producer,
Trisha Downie; associate producer, Jay Cassels;
assistant director, Terri Kilmartin; casting, Liz
Mullane (NZ), Maura Fay Casting (Australia). Reviewed
at Melbourne Film Festival, July 28, 2003. Running
time: 96 MIN.
© Copyright 2003, Reed Business Information,
a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. © 2003 Variety,
Inc.
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