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Perfect Strangers
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List Price: $9.98
Our Price: $9.98
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
Starring: Sam Neill, Rachael Blake, Joel Tobeck, Robyn Malcolm, Madeleine Sami
Directed By: Gaylene Preston
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0687797105899
Format: Color
Label: First Look Pictures
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: First Look Pictures
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2004-06-22
Running Time: 96
Studio: First Look Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: 2003
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Editorial Reviews:
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When Melanie goes home from the pub with the best looking man in the room, she’s captivated by his charm and attentiveness. He sails her away to his ‘castle’ – a rundown shack on a deserted island. But as his passion becomes obsession and romance turns to rage, Melanie realizes that she has been kidnapped. Torn between fear and desire, Melanie must escape her schizophrenic suitor. A moment of panic leads to murder and madness. Melanie’s time is running out, but for her perfect stranger, it may already be too late.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Your place or mine?
Comment: If you're reading this review, you probably see a lot more movies than I do. Today I chose PERFECT STRANGERS because of my sentimental attachment to all things New Zealand, and it didn't disappoint me.
The movie starts with a routine plot -- Melanie, a working-class New Zealand girl, goes home from the pub with a sexy stranger. "Home" turns out to be a remote island and the sexy stranger turns out to be mad, bad and dangerous to know. While trying to escape, Melanie wounds him fatally.
From there the plot goes bizarro -- or perhaps, just deeply disturbed. Although it's twisted, this movie is not heavily plotted or deeply suspenseful, nor is there intense dialogue to occupy the viewer's attention. That feels like a good thing in this movie because there are other elements to absorb you.
The first attention-grabber is New Zealand native son Sam Neill. He frightens and reassures with mesmerizing tone and expression. His best line, the one in which his obsession is revealed, is his sine qua non for sex: "You have to love me! Do you love me?" The rest of the cast (Australian Rachael Blake, New Zealander Joel Tobeck) give reasonably convincing performances though without the depth of character seen in a more elaborately written movie like Whale Rider.
The second delight is the sound track. The New Zealand film industry is a wonderful showcase for local musical talent, and I was pleased to hear tracks by Neil Finn (Crowded House, Split Enz), Don McGlashan (Front Lawn, The Muttonbirds), Barry Saunders (The Warratahs), Janet Roddick (Six Volts) and R & B guitarist Hammond Gamble. There is even a Puccini aria by Dame Malvina Major performing with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. The music is well integrated to the rest of the movie, and I'd watch the movie again just to listen more closely to the track.
It's easy to film a visually satisfying movie in New Zealand (The Piano, The Lord Of The Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Full Screen Edition), Heavenly Creatures) and this movie is certainly moody and beautiful. The cinematographer, Alun Bollinger, worked on those projects and knows how to get the most from the sometimes daunting land- and seascapes. You'll need to actually watch this movie, as much of it happens visually and not with dialogue.
Writer/Producer/Director Gaylene Preston put together a package that was just ambitious enough for her resources, and for me it all worked beautifully. I've admitted my biases so while I recommend this movie, please decide for yourself whether it might work for you. If you DO choose it, be sure to stay for the unexpected ending: it's done in that campy Down Under style (Strictly Ballroom; The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert).
Altogether a rewarding little movie from an ambitious little country.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Quirky to the max
Comment: I saw this movie on Air New Zealand last summer and it still haunts me. Sometimes you are so tired on that flight you are not sure if you are dreaming or if it is the movie, but if I remember right, it has beautiful scenery and strange characters doing odd things. Love conquers all, right, even death in this case. A must see if you like odd little character films with a dash of thriller.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The real Cast Away !
Comment: Don't listen to those giving it a one *. Try to watch this movie on a big screen TV in a dark room with a decent sound system. I guarantee you will be lost for 2 hours. Visuals are just stunning! You won't see visuals like this in your typical run of the mill Hollywood flick. And don't worry about the plot, its complexity , or lack thereof..you will be totally immersed in this movie. There are critics who think there have to be twists and turns in the plot, propane tanks exploding, cars jumping off bridges, and other things to make a movie watchable. Pay no attention to them. Just go and watch, you won't be disappointed.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Possibly one of the most overrated movies ever!
Comment: I have seen many bad movies but this one has to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Imagine the following scenario: a woman gets abducted by a complete stranger and taken to a deserted island. Her deeply disturbed and unstable kidnapper is madly in love with her and is willing to do anything to keep her imprisoned on this island. At first, she is trying to escape from him but since he is the only one who can actually operate a boat she soon realizes that this is futile.One day after an altercation she stabs him and he eventually dies from this wound due to a great loss of blood. Paradoxically, she then gradually falls in love with this maniac who mistreated her both physically and mentally. Note that this takes place after he dies!
This preposterous and completely bizarre story made me sick. How can anyone fall in love with a lunatic whose idea of love is so disturbed? It is beyond my comprehension. I was looking for a solid thriller but it turned out to be nothing but rubbish. I am so angry with myself for selecting such a lousy movie. It is pointless, unintelligent and excruciatingly boring. I am going back to the videostore for a refund. You should get paid to see this movie. It is a complete waiste of time!
Customer Rating:
Summary: OH MY LORD DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME
Comment: BAD BAD BAD movie. I watched it to the end thinking...OK...it must get better...it must...but it doesn't. This nutty woman goes off with some dude in a bar. He kidnaps her and takes her to a remote island...slaps her around...she knifes him to protect herself (which causes his later death). THEN as she takes care of him affections grow (even tho he slapped her around and kidnapped her..PLEASE!) and when he croaks she falls in love WITH HIS CORPSE! That's RIGHT...his CORPSE! She props him up to have a TEA AND CHAT!!! WHAT THE HELL?? Then she keeps him in the FREEZER so she can CONTINUE THEIR RELATIONSHIP in BIZARRO dream sequences!!! When the true owner of the island shows up she tries to shoot him in order to keep her CORPSE LOVE NEST secure. Well, she misses and later MARRIES THE GUY and dances at their wedding with the corpse in a dream-like sequence. What a PIECE OF TRASH!!! My advice...turn down the sound and just watch the New Zealand scenery. Just make sure to ignore the corpse which starts looking pretty tatty despite the tea parties.
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