Perfect Strangers (2016)

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

It's been a while since I last saw an Italian movie, and I'm glad to say that I really missed that authenticity. At first, you can have an impression it is going to be an ordinary movie taking place in a simple apartment. and it continues for a while as you thought. When suggesting a strange idea, movie is getting interesting and the climax comes up gradually. The actors are fervently performed. But I cannot say the same thing for the actresses, giving just what they you expect from them nothing more or less. The screenplay is the backbone of the movie, when you sort of feel like okay that's enough I can fall asleep while watching, the signs of further excitement begin to show itself and keep you awake until the end. I think the writers deserve a praise. I can definitely say it is an emotionally strong movie but sometimes you can feel bored, especially in the first half. But after that it goes smoothly, until the hypothetical scene. It will be worth your time.

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.

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!

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.