Perfect Strangers (2016)

8/10

A great positive sign for the Italian cinema

andrea-bertazzoli914 March 2016

An incredibly well-written modern chamber play that submit us a really interesting question: What would actually happen if a group of friends that affirm to know each other perfectly puts the smartphones altogether where everyone can hear the calls and read the messages? Yes A big mess

The brilliant starting idea is developed in a wonderful crescendo that transforms rapidly the situation from a nice dinner with old friends into a bloody battleground that reveals the darker secrets.

The movie is both funny and dramatic and so is the bitter-sweet final (wonderful inception tribute).

Great cast, good directing and good cinematography.

Vote: 8.5

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8/10

Stands head and shoulders above its Hollywood counterparts

DVR_Brale26 April 2017

I don't remember when was the last time a saw a high quality comedy. Ninety percent of comedies that come from Hollywood are immature gibberish filled with trivialities which portray life as it never is. But now finally comes a comedy movie for grown ups with thematic elements suitable for mature audiences. Perfetti sconosciuti is very funny, sometimes sad, intelligent and charming in a way only European movies can be, especially Italian and Spanish.

Seven friends gather for a dinner. Table is and always has been a central element of human activities. Food opens people up for friendship and humor. Now, these seven people carried by such delight agree to play a game which may bring to surface things they never wanted to share. They have known each other for years but it turns out only superficially. Perfetti sconosciuti is pretty serious movie when stripped from jokes and charm. That has to be so since sharing, or more so unwillingly sharing, our deepest secrets and desires with people whom we know for years in unbelievably difficult; more difficult than sharing those things with strangers. That's why I've written that this movie is a comedy made for mature audiences - younger viewers just won't be able to read fine details and understand the difficulties, which come with years, this movie brings about.

Tempo of the movie is perfectly hit. Everything looks absolutely natural. There are no more important or less important scenes. All of them come together as to form a uniform experience. That way the viewer somehow becomes eighth person invited to the dinner, figuratively speaking. This is something similar to the way conversation keeps flowing in 12 Angry Men. Since Perfetti sconosciuti is a talk movie, acting plays a pivotal role since there are no many other elements which can compensate for it, in contrast to American made comedies which are almost entirely adventure oriented. In all sincerity I have to admit that this seven people did better job with acting than most of their over-hyped and planetary famous Hollywood colleagues. All of them covered a very wide range of emotions in a very convincing manner.

This is very refreshing and brave movie to make which I warmly recommend, especially to those of you who are tired of trivial humor, trivial characters and plots. You may even discover a thing or two about yourself.

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8/10

Do you dare to play the game with your closest friends?

lasttimeisaw6 July 2016

Warning: Spoilers

PERFECT STRANGERS is the latest BEST FILM winner in David di Donatello Awards, surprisingly wallops the more forbidding opponents like Gianfranco Rosi's Golden Berlin Bear victor FIRE AT SEA (2016), Matteo Garrone's TALE OF TALES (2015) and Paolo Sorrentino's YOUTH (2015), considering its mini-scaled, play-like setting.

The story takes place in Rome, present day, altogether restricted in one evening, among seven tight-knitted friends, three couples and a recent divorcé during a dinner party hosted by Rocco (Giallini), a cosmetic surgeon and his much younger wife Eva (Smutniak), a headshrinker, in their bourgeois apartment, they have a 16-year-old daughter whose relationship with Eva is under strain. Other two couples are Lele (Mastandrea) and Carlotta (Foglietta), who have two young children, and the newly-wed Cosimo (Leo) and Bianca (Rohrwacher), the only single person is Peppe (Battiston), who doesn't bring his new girlfriend with him, which is to the discontent of the rest, since none of them have been met her yet, and there is always a reason behind.

What turns a standard dinner gathering among friends to an unforeseen disaster is a game proposed by Eva, all of them leave their phones on the table, whoever receives a phone-call, a message whether it is a text message or from WhatsApp, they must answer the call on speaker so everyone else can hear the conversation (without the caller's knowledge certainly), or show the received message to others, to prove that there are absolutely no dark secrets among themselves. Needless to say, that is an untruth, everybody has his or her own little or big secrets, yet if you have not in, the consequence is self-evident, especially for those espoused, so they can only pray that those secrets will not make contact that evening, which, also of course, is a wishful thinking. Plus, we are all subconsciously inclined to have a peek of other people's private affairs, and wallow in schadenfreude (if there will be any) from a safe place (e.g. as a viewer), and in director Paolo Genovese's competent hands, step by step, each of these seven adults will unwillingly lay bare their skeletons in the closet, from less startling issues of seeing a psychiatrist or in the schedule for a boob job, to more calamitous ones, which would inevitably terminate at least one marriage and sour a few friendships.

Compellingly tapping into the Mediterranean frame-of-mind with layers of revelations gingering up the plot, Genovese also brightly devices ballast for the next-level disclosure from their dangerous game, setting the scene on a lunar eclipse night, pragmatically offers some visual distraction and break from the heated tension sprung around the dinner table, in one particularly neat move, during a smoking break, a phone-swapping scheme has been introduced with ripple effects which would be far more intricate and amusing than one might have surmised.

Secrets, secrets, secrets, some are disclosed to all of them, some are cunningly revealed only to the eyes of spectators, in order not to spoil the fun, I am just saying that I'm fascinated to get a grasp of why in the first place, Eva suggests to play such a game? Is there a hidden agenda? Well, Genovese seems to intimate that there is, a masterstroke to lure viewers into multiple viewings!

A talented coterie of actors, the mainstays of current Italian cinema, implements a totally absorbing melodrama interspersed with top-shelf comedic flair and naturalistic theatrics. Giallini is sterling under his wise and prescient phlegm, Mastandrea is a wonderful specimen of emotional forbearance and Battiston comes strong in his out-of-blue discharges with resounding empathy, only Leo slumps into a stock and less interesting persona of a dyed-in-the-wool cheater; in the distaff side, Rohrwacher infuses a genuine innocence which will only subject her character Bianco into a more helpless corner once the plot thickens; Foglietta fleshes out an impression of a more forceful and intransigent loose cannon after Anna being hit by a (false) bolt out of the blue which pulverises all her beliefs; Smutniak, masks in her stunned ambiguity, makes us wonder is she safe from her secret at the end of that dreadful evening?

Or, maybe it has never happened! In the final legerdemain, Genovese leaves a double-edged finale in an unexpected turn, unveils what would happen if the game is vetoed on the spot, the status quo stays put, secrets remain intact, although some are too big to cover in the long run. Staring out as a mordant parody throwing shades at our over-reliance on today's digital technology and its omnipresent intrusion on our privacy under the claim of convenience, PERFECT STRANGERS, as its titular fittingly indicates, instead, examines a more essential truth about the permanent opaqueness in every and each one of us, the sheer indecipherability of a human soul, so, do you dare to play the game with your closest friends? Think it twice.

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10/10

Roller-coaster of emotions

gewoon_filip17 December 2016

What a fantastic piece of art. A movie containing an abundance of emotions, psychology and surprises.

It has been a while I have been both touched by tears and laughter at the same time.

An incredible scenario, fantastically written, composed and acted upon. Interpersonal relationships at its finest.

The constant twists in the plot, along with great acting makes the movie to be fascinating from beginning to end.

If you like Woody Allen movies, you should definitely watch this one. Simply amazing!

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9/10

Giacomo_De_Bello14 August 2016

Seven long time friends are having a meet up at Rocco (Marco Giallini) and Eva's (Kasia Smutniak) house. As the dinner starts to evolve the theme of cellphones emerges bringing in very different points of views on the matter. The friendly bickering evolves to the point that the seven friends decide to play a game. Everyone is to put their cellphone on the table and any and every message, call or notification that arrives during the dinner is to be shared with everybody. What will emerge is in fact that all of these lifelong friends might actually be, fittingly, perfect strangers to one another.

Paolo Genovese, an Italian director who in the past had made decent, yet never really remarkable efforts in Italian cinema has now come out with what is the best film of 2016 so far, the film you have to watch this year, a nail biting thriller, that takes your breath away with its first reveal and never lets you catch it back, not until long after the film has ended. If there is one feature you will have to look out for in 2016 this is the one to go for.

What is most surprising about what Genovese and all of his co-writers have achieved is how simple the whole thing is. It is a basic premise. It is shot unstylishly. The plot weave has two, three at best turn points. The packaging of the film is so simple it almost puts into discussion the visual nature of film itself. Yet, what Genovese does as a director and what the screenplay achieves with its tight and relentless pacing is filling all of the simple surface of the film with a dark and riveting twist that manages to hold the viewer's interest without ever calling attention on itself.

All of the scenes are shot with basic coverage. There is no shot in the film that calls attention to itself. Where this is compensated is with incredible blocking, masterful editing and overall impeccable timing. Just as Lumet in 1957 manged to make twelve men in a room visually interesting, Genovese, even if to a slightly lesser extent, manages to take this setting and charge every action and dialogue line with a climactic effort.

When confronted with such a screenplay a director has to realize he has to step back and make the lines breathe, make the actors relevant, give the dialogue a flow and a meaning, trying not to make it become irrelevant. That is what Genovese does and to a brilliant effect, just like last year Danny Boyle made Sorkin's words enlighten the screen with energy, the director here gives the dialogue the spotlight and supports it with one little action at a time, all of which prove to be genius moves.

It could be so easy to give all the credit to these brilliant actors, who admittedly rise to this occasion and give a collection of amazing performances, yet what Genovese those is so understated, so brilliantly unnoticeable it is the mark of a superbly directed movie. He walks perfectly the line between being a showman and being laid back, he ends up forging that perfect balance which makes every edit matter and what comes out on the other side is a white-knuckle thriller.

Still, this screenplay has to be taken into account as the primary reason of success for the feature. Its character outlining is remarkable, everyone of these people feels fully rounded, you can sense all of their history weighing in on their shoulders. Every line further develops the relation between these people and takes a step forwards in defining them, you simply cling to every word trying to get to know them, their reality feels so interesting you want to be a part of it. It has almost a voyeuristic nature that is not too unlike Hitchock's "Rear Window". Naturally all of these actors have their A-game on which is the final ingredient into the craft of this overwhelming film.

Were you wondering what film is missing from your catalog this year? Well here's this Italian one-room thriller that will take you by surprise and leave you with an ending that is brave and original, which seals the deal on the film and charges it with the most thematic effort it could have ever had.

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7/10

The Undergrowths of Married Life

tributarystu5 July 2016

I've never liked truth or dare, so as soon as one of the characters suggested a truth/dare like game for a peaceful get together with friends, I knew at a personal level that the worst would come about. 'Single room' movies, ever so dependent on a strong script, can easily become overbearing, if wit does not overcome the wry mundaneness of life and the timing of events is not both harmonious and believable. When a theater play is the source material, you know at least that there's a pedigree to the writing before you embark on the journey, so this blind test was something different to, let's say, Carnage (an engrossing adaptation itself). But different good.

A group of life-long friends gather at a dinner party, as the prologue already hints at cracks in the relationships between the couples coming together. The device meant to drive them towards unraveling is a 'game' wherein everyone lays their mobile phones on the table and all messages and calls are answered/viewed in public - funny enough, someone still has a Nokia! Well, the tension is palpable from the get-go and as two of the friends make a 'trade' in the hopes of mitigating fallout from an expected text, this actually proves to be the least of their problems.

As mentioned above, the first questions to answer pertain to timing and believability. The execution of the escalation scenario is convincing, in that it builds well towards a final release. However, your sense of disbelief is tested at certain points, as too much seems to be happening at once. It's inevitable and the film deals with it in a very clever way, but the premise remains questionable - that everyone gets up to so much mischief in an exciting way.

The set-up is used to deliver some relevant arguments about the nature of relationships, the meaning of trust and the way that technology works as a filter. All lives are presumed to be defined by some sort of multiplicity, of things that happen which we don't share with those around us because they are hard to explain, hurtful or simply duplicitous. In a way, it has never been so easy to deceive, while actually being just an unwanted glance away from one's reveal. The movie argues that what we ultimately see is the veneer of authenticity, so intricately holding together a web of lies, even among the thickest of friends. What it does even better is point to the fact that while there are some rules of thumb to explain the behaviour of other people, really understanding which rules apply to whom is a question of context and of prejudices.

What remains difficult to obscure is the artificiality of some of the situations - related to the need for entertaining drama. Worrying too much about surprising the audience with shock after shock is damaging not only in itself, but in tearing apart the integrity of the characters. Moreover, some meek symbolism, like the mystical eclipse of the full moon acting as a trigger for 'the unveiling', is equally unnecessary, if harmless.

Yet, it's fairly easy to transcend these inadequacies thanks to the sound build up of the atmosphere, the well rounded characters, and the depth the movie achieves in its existential commentary. Not sure I would label this a comedy, but it sure is a dinner date gone haywire, with some beautiful Italian flair to go with the ever so doubtful bio wine.

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9/10

Is your cell phone safe to make a transparency?

Reno-Rangan14 July 2016

Usually the films based on the dinner party associate with either family or the friends reunion and sometimes business related affair. But there's always a reason for such gathering like it might be a wedding, funeral, anniversary, a school reunion, getting a job or promotion, victory celebration et cetera. In this film, it was some long time friends meet which seems its their regular thing to do often. This tale covers one such fine evening to reveal what they actually do. A limited cast and one night event based film that cleverly and cautiously covers sensitive topics of the married life and trust of the friendship.

It has been almost a year since my last Italian film and now I'm happy for choosing this. I was not certain that I would like it till I saw it. So I would say same to you that see it first and then judge the product. This is really a good comedy-drama with a dark tone. We all adapted the modern way of life and gadgets makes so easy to accomplish things around us. In that, cell phones might come the first. Carrying it all the time became only next to wearing clothes, surely an artificial/digital sense of man. It also has some flaws, like it may land you in troubles as it's a part of AI, not human. I think it is easy to forecast a man's future by checking out his phone rather than his horoscope.

Seven friends, including three married couples and one single man gather for a dinner party. They have been doing it for a very long time and that's where they all can share each others current life affair. Having some laughs and serious discussions, it defines the strength of their relationship. Every occasions won't be the same, there's always a first time for everything. That's how the event comes crashing out.

While the party was going smooth, unexpectedly a game emerges that they all must place their phones on the table to prove they have no secrets from each other. Incoming and outgoing calls, texts, emails, everything must be heard by everyone at the table. What do you think would happen? Before saying anything, just place yourself in that position and do you think you can get away with a clean slate? Obviously tough to answer that, only practical observation would bring the result.

"He's seeing a therapist, not a whore! Come on!"

Every time when there's an alert for an incoming call or message, the atmosphere gets more tense and as a viewer I went blinkless. It is not about what people hid from others, it is the reaction in the room when their secret was exposed. This is when adults become teenagers who try to explain the stuff when their parents find out their secrets. And so the friends become complete strangers. Because friends must back each other in the bad times, but in this scenario, it was totally out of the proportion regarding their action. Okay, if we push away the friendship, then how's the married one should take it. Feels very simple, since everyone involved in something, it has turned out to be a complicated affair.

Like I said I've seen plenty of similar themed films, but this one was something unique in a simple way. There's a vast difference between what do you witness in the opening compared to how it concludes. A bad mouth can spoil a beautiful occasion, but now it is avoided since people learnt to shut their mouth. Just remember the film 'August: Osage County' and this film was no way close to it as a story, but developed to the next gen, the digital troubles the mankind had set to face. This film revealed how much a cell phone would cause trouble, then think what would happen with the robots of the tomorrow. Surely in 20-30 years from now, a similar film will be made with the bots.

At some point, I thought it might be the Italian version of the 'Coherence' for inclusion of lunar eclipse in the plot. I'm not going to say anything about that, you'll get it in your watch. There's no end twist, but it was an unexpected final scene. By then you will understand the meaning of the title. Awesome screenplay and well performed actors, this is one of the best films of the year so far. This is not a sci-fi or a thriller or a visual spectacular, but a smart little drama and I'm sensing that somebody might consider it for a remake. I know everyone won't like as much I did, but I won't end my review without recommending it. If you like talk movies, sure you does enjoy it.

8.5/10

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6/10

Creative setting and expression, interesting motif.. but overall uninteresting movie

TaylorYee9422 May 2021

Genius framework. Seven friends gather at the dinner table, and sharing messages, pictures, and calls from cellphones instigate each drama. What an idea! No wonder 'Perfetti sconosciuti' is remade in more than 20 countries. However, the actors and the director fail to extract the best out of this clever idea.

Good: Very limited setting and time. All the events take place in Rocco's house, and all the events in the movie happens the same length as the running time. It is such a new and different cinematic experience. Running time can include many years, centuries, and lifetimes. In this one, however, audience enters Rocco's house as the movie starts and leaves as the movie ends. Very verisimilar and tangible. One more thing. Many films try to draw audience in to the experiences characters go through, making the film more captivating and enthralling. However, 'Perfetti sconosciuti' persistently keeps audience the distance, making him or her as more of an observer. It really felt as I was eavesdropping their secrets.

Bad: Something's just off. Something's missing. Something's just too much. When connecting each dramatic event, the process is not smooth, like going over speed bump. These bumps in the connection destroy the tension building up so far. All the happenings during the dinner ... the director could've cut off some of them. Some dramas are put there just to create drama, losing position and connection in the movie. Actors' performance is too much, artificial. They do not seem like longtime friends, no chemistry at all. Their reaction to unfolding turmoil is awkward. I said, 'Gosh, they are acting.' Good actors never let audience think that they are acting. They become characters.

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9/10

All of us have secrets

kraljevic41120 February 2017

Perfetti sconosciuti or Perfect Strangers is about a group of friends that are having a nice, random dinner until a quite unpleasant and intriguing game comes to someone's mind. The game gets more and more interesting as the time goes by because they are starting to wonder if they know who their friends (and partners) really are.

The concept of the movie is so simple and makes it easy to watch and follow the plot. What I actually liked most is that you start thinking how much of yourself is there to reveal and how much could you be able to reveal to someone you have allegedly known your whole life. The truth is that people get anxious when you start browsing their mobile phones or computers without their control. Even if they maybe don't hide anything, they always believe there is a chance that something doubtful or too personal could be found. But we generally don't think about it because it is wrong for someone to stick his nose in our personal data shelter.

Anyway, the whole point is well interpreted throughout the movie. I started to wonder how bad that game could go. Combined with a likable Italian humor, this movie guarantees a perfect movie night. Just hope that people with whom you are watching it don't get similar ideas!

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6/10

Good theme and acting but the ending is too weird

mmaaddllyy9 April 2020

Warning: Spoilers

The movie shows how futile our social interactions are and how little we reveal of ourselves. Great idea. The start of the phone game looks quite believable, however some other moments are hard to believe.

Lovers are supposed to be hating each other's at the end but for some reason it all looks like a dream and order is restored, just like the moon. Very random ending.

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8/10

friendship games

dromasca26 November 2016

Quite difficult to believe that Paolo Genovese's Perfect Strangers is not inspired by a theater play. Everything happens within the closed limits of one apartment where seven friends meet for a casual dinner which turns into something completely different when they decide to play a 'Truth or Do' kind of game using their ... mobile phones. One immediately thinks to movies like Roman Polanski's Carnage , but that one was based on the play (and screenplay) of Yasmina Reza. It seems however in this case that the movie took precedence, but I am confident that the stage adaptations will follow quickly. So will the American remake, I am afraid.

What happens if all the calls, messaging, social networking content we believe to be confidential comes in the clear? This is the game the friends decide to play and the results will - as expected- be disastrous for most of the friendships and couple relationships. Is the film about the dangers of social networking and other forms of Internet communication? or maybe about the dangers of hiding and lying and trusting or not trusting your friends? One should see this film to decide. And ask yourself also if you are ready to play the game with your friends.

The film starts at a slow pace, and it took a while to catch me. When it did it was fantastic. It also contains a final twist in the script that I will not reveal. It's well acted and smartly written. I recommend it. There are good chances that you'll enjoy it.

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7/10

Everything can change...

Thanos_Alfie14 March 2018

"Perfect Strangers" is a comedy-drama movie in which we watch seven people who are very good friends get together for dinner. As they are eating they have an idea of playing a game. This game is very simple, they have to share with each other the content of every text message from WhatsApp, Viber etc, email and phone calls they receive while they are eating and they are together with the others. As time passes a lot of secrets are revealed and each relationship between all these people can change.

I liked this movie very much because the plot was something completely different from all the other movies that I had watched. It's an amazing movie, with twists, a very well-written script and a very good plot. This movie is a very good example of what a simple movie with a low budget and filmed only inside a house can succeed. I liked the direction which was made by Paolo Genovese and I believe that it was amazing and the combination of the well-written script it was the recipe for success. I also liked the interpretations of Marco Giallini who played as Rocco, Giuseppe Battiston who played as Peppe, Edoardo Leo who played Cosimo and Kasia Smutniak who played Eva.

To sum up I have to say that "Perfect Strangers" is a very interesting movie in which we can understand a lot about the relationships between people, from a simple friendship to a passionate and lovely relationship. I believe that everyone can gain something by watching this movie and that's why I strongly recommend for everyone to see it.

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5/10

Awful cheese

mariahelen-218714 September 2021

A good idea doesn't make a good movie. Too many cliches, poor plot twists, unrealistic storyline.

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9/10

finally a comedy in the true sense of the word

CineRasta9 March 2016

Delighted to see that Italian cinema occasionally is still capable of turning out good movies, great cast composed of very different actors with each other but at the same time linked by a wonderful alchemy. Also good script, a film like this to be level must have been accurately written, especially if the characters have to interact with each other in the same room for the duration of the event. In the past Paolo Genovese, often in addition to directing he also wrote the script as in this case (assisted by Filippo Bologna, Paolo Costella, Paola Mammini and Rolando Ravello), he had tried to create something where something really remain "in the pocket" to the viewer , without ever succeeding in my opinion. He laughs a lot and it also reflects, are tackled very difficult issues without falling into banality and remarkable interpretations are offered. The finish is one of the strong points of the film, launched the message is very clear and stimulates the viewer's mind to set himself up as judge, or to make "mea culpa".

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9/10

Outstanding Film of 2016

bideshdas16 July 2016

Warning: Spoilers

This is one of the outstanding movies of 2016. How smartphones/social media has captured our life. And how stranger are we to each other is all about the movie. How 7 friends meet for a dinner. And the imaginary game took out everything from their life. How perfectly the knew each other come out loud and clear in the movie.

Loved this film. Shot in a apartment the film will be remembered just like The Terminal. The gay friend, the cheating husband, the secret chatting wife, the wife in relation with ex-bf all become naked by keeping their smartphone open for all. The father daughter conversation is so touching.

I can watch this again and again. A masterpiece.

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7/10

An entertaining and voyeuristic peek into the black-box of secrets, the iPhone.

CineMuseFilms5 February 2017

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since The Big Chill (1983). It was the movie that immortalised the 'gathering of old school friends' as a narrative premise for revealing hidden truths and showing that friendship is the first casualty of honesty. The Italian comedy of manners Perfect Strangers (2016) follows this path but updates it with themes of technological intrusion, marital hypocrisy and sexuality closets. The result is a cross between a squirm-in-your-seat farce and a reality TV show where everyone goes home alone.

Seven friends gather for a dinner party and amidst the bonhomie over drinks friction points appear in every relationship. As often happens in long-term friendships, they know enough about each other to stay in touch but know too much for comfort. Three are married couples at various points on the harmony scale and the single divorcée has come alone despite expectations that the group will meet the new girlfriend. The hostess Eva, a therapist, chats about iPhones as a modern day black box full of secrets kept from partners. She suddenly suggests a party game where everyone puts their phones on the table to share every incoming call and message to show that they have nothing to hide. Once this premise is locked in, the consequences are funny, chaotic and predictable.

After a heavy breathing prank call from a friend in the kitchen, this Russian roulette of secrets gets more and more serious and the eye movements around the table more jittery. The hostess is the first to be embarrassed when a message reveals she is having her "boobs done" and another friend is caught out scheming to move her mother-in-law into a nursing home. One by one, the secrets tumble out including marital infidelities and gay outings. The dialogue-rich script and the well- paced story is propelled entirely by the tension of not knowing what will be revealed next.

This is intelligent humour for contemporary times with the ever-dwindling gap between the public and the private. The gags and one-liners are fast and cutting to capture the kind of things that friends might think while sober and voice out when not. For audiences who do not speak Italian, the dialogue is delivered at Mediterranean speed and the sub-titles undoubtedly miss nuance. The escalation of disclosures and amplification of impact produces a stage play-like atmosphere reminiscent of a French farce gone wild. But it all adds to the chaos as the fabric of friendship is torn asunder in what is an entertaining if voyeuristic over-the-fence look at how others live their lives.

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8/10

A very real current film without unnecessary bells & whistles

Angelino_Rosso17 February 2017

The film depicts a normal dinner party. A group of middle-aged friends eat and drink together discussing how smartphones influence our everyday life. As they all agree they have nothing to hide they decide to play a game that will put their beliefs and friendships to test.

The film is strong on individual performances, a facetious script and honest character building.

Recommended!

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7/10

Funny games

nmegahey22 December 2017

Depending on how you look at it the idea behind Perfetti Sconosciuti (Perfect Strangers) could be seen as quite ambitious or an absolute nightmare. Almost the entire film takes place in a single location in an apartment, where a small group of friends have gathered for a dinner party. Over the course of the evening - for the next hour and a half of the film - we and their friends gradually find out what little secrets each of them keep. No-one's life is going to be the same again.

It starts out as a little experiment, a game, and it doesn't sound terribly promising.. Three couples and one single friend - whose new girlfriend wasn't well enough to attend - sit down to dinner and the banal conversation inevitably turns around to discussing the differences between about men and women. Men are like PCs apparently and women are Macs. A point of contention however is established over the situation of one of their friends who is going through a divorce; his wife having discovered he was having an affair with a 22 year old. "How many couples would split up if they looked at each other's phones", they wonder. Well, let's play a game then...

They all agree to leave their phones on the table, and any message, text or call that arrives during the evening must be shared with everyone. Surely everyone will agree to this, unless they have something to hide. Well, there's little doubt that secrets will be revealed and attempted to be explained, but the question is who will be found out? All of them? And how bad will it be? What soon becomes apparent is that the evening is not going to end well, and any hope of damage limitation vanishes as the evening gradually descends into anger, recrimination and complete havoc.

It's not just the subject that is divisive here, but the manner in which the film handles this potentially vicious game is also a tough one to call. Paolo Genovese is not Michael Haneke, so no-one is going to be responsible for the genocide of a colonial nation or crimes against humanity, but the director's take on the romantic-comedy with a touch of philosophising in films like Tutta copla di Freud (Blame Freud) doesn't inspire confidence that Genovese is capable of revealing any real insights on relationships, particularly though such a contrived situation.

If it was an out-an-out comedy - or even just a little funnier - you might find Perfetti Sconosciuti an amusing distraction with some interesting observations, but Genovese tries to make it into an "issue" film and moralise a little, and there he's on less secure ground. Having said that, there's much to enjoy in the situation and performances - the film winning David di Donatello awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay awards in 2016 - and once on-board, you'll want to see this through to its inevitably catastrophic conclusion. Inevitably? Well, twists abound, which is another divisive tactic and a sign perhaps on lack of commitment, but when the film makes its point either way, it's hard to feel cheated.

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10/10

One of the best films I've seen so far

shady_ramzy29 October 2017

I really loved the entire film, the acting, the writing and the directing all were great !! Six years back I've watched a documentary film after which I ended up a passionate wildlife photographer and filmmaker. I'm not sure but Perfect Strangers may be the drive to try fiction films as a career !

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6/10

Actually I do not know if it's drama or it's surreal

Andres-Camara3 November 2017

Warning: Spoilers

What do I mean? Well, the film, although it takes a long time to start, then it starts to get interesting, obviously you know where it's going to go, otherwise there would not be a movie. It takes but it arrives, the problem is that the end, I do not know what it tells me, I tell it in the spoiler zone.

In general, the actors are very good. They are a group of friends and I'm sure some of them did not know each other a few days before.

It looks like a theatrical play, with so many characters there could be a great staging, moving the characters, not having them sitting so long. It would have given much more life to the film and could have made some great plans.

Photography is beautiful, being inside, it handles everything and it helps to tell the story.

The direction, get some good performances, but lacks pace at the beginning. But it fails to give a good staging and the plans are simple.

It's a good movie, since you believe it and it hooks you, but it could be better.

Spoiler:

I do not know if what he wants to tell is the forgiveness of one another or if the moon changes us or that it has been a dream. I do not know why that change of mood in all the characters.

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10/10

Wonderfully directed!

sof_ah31 May 2017

Excellent plot. Tension is high all along the film. With simple resources it succeeds to have an extraordinary story-line and keeps the audience constantly alert and there are belly laugh moments. The end: best of all. It shows the ugly truth of our lives in a humorously tone and it is very realistic. In two words: IT ROCKS!

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7/10

Dinner with friends leads to unpleasant secrets revelations

lar_lef15 April 2017

Perfect strangers is a successful film, of necessity contrived because it is built on a successful gimmick- don't want to reveal it here. Takes place largely in dining room (was it a play before a movie?). Good movie symbolized by eclipse of moon occasionally watched by the diners, and ending hinted at by it. Not everything credible, but we are not watching War and Peace, or maybe so, in a sense. Plenty of pasta in evidence, so you and your partner may want to go out for a pizza afterwards, if still speaking to one another - hopefully life won't imitate art.Basta (enough).

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5/10

Not good enough

c-4947912 January 2019

The harvest is quite a lot after watching it, everyone has their own secrets, human nature is the most can not stand the test of things. But the pace of the film is really worrying, as a seat talk film the substitution is too slow,meanwhile, the last 30 minutes especially at the end of the processing is still good, but the overall failing

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9/10

loved it

jabin32 December 2017

A quite interesting movie. Maybe in real life things don't match in such a quick time and things take more time to happen. However the plot is an actual one and it shows secrecy is part of our life even if we like it or not. I really enjoyed it and tasted it ;) Some of the best movies I've seen lately. The night scene from the balcony, the conversations near a glass of wine under the moonlight, the funny moments when one of the friends was covering the other's lie and secret "thing"... I think I watched this movie with great pleasure as if I was serving a delicacy. Also couldn't stop laughing (and I was laughing with tears for several minutes ) when one of the friends was covering the other who was not ready to admit anything and he let his friend make a fool of himself. I found the movie by mistake but it will remain a favorite in my film collection. 100 % worth seeing.

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10/10

The black box of our lives.

malinka-8691921 October 2018

Warning: Spoilers

Seven old friends (3 couples and a divorced man) are going to have a dinner and admire the eclipse of the moon. But as soon as they get together and start enjoying dinner one of them, woman named Eva, offers to play a game: they should share all text messages and incoming calls they received during the dinner. Some of them agree to play, some of them disagree and afraid of consequences, some of them want to be unmasked. Finally all of them start the game. They all are old friends - what could go wrong? But secrets are coming out... One by one everyone's secrets are becoming public. Tension increases with every sound of ringtones. One lie causes other lies. Characters are not very conspicuous as long as you don't know their secrets. For instance, there are the psychologist that doesn't accept herself (definitely she needs a therapy), a couple that bound together for only a guilty conscience, a husband cheating on his wife every chance he has. Your estimate of each character chances during the film. Despite all lies, a friendship takes its place in the film. For example, it is very exciting to watch how Lele covers Beppes secret instead of saying true about him and acquitting himself. The tension of the movie is diluting with humour. Jokes are well-timed and amusing. Actors are excellent, you start to believe everything since the first minute. It seems like you are one of them, and you feel nervous about your own skeletons in the closet. The film looks like a theatre play with minimum of decorations and actors. There is not much action in the film, but it is full of dialogues on philosophical and controversial issues which make audience think of them. However the main idea is that our secrets are not well-secured and mostly contained in a little box with screen and buttons. The ending is very strong and emotional, in my opinion. The question "is it necessary to know the truth, if it could ruin your relationships?" is another thing to think about. This film doesn't give answers for questions it raises, but leaves you options. I highly recommend to watch the film "Perfect Strangers" ("Perfetti sconosciuti") by Paolo Genovese, it captures the attention of audience from the beginning and keeps up the suspense until the last minute. I felt empathy for all actors during the film.

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