Movie Review: Perfectos desconocidos (Perfect Strangers)

Michael's Movie Grade: B

Review: A highly entertaining Mexican movie with some very interesting ideas.

What if the people you spend the most time with could see every text and hear every phone call you get. This a fascinating idea to think about and it is fun to put yourself in the characters' shoes and think what would happen if you and your friends played this game.

 This movie consists mostly of people sitting around a table talking. It seems like a film like this could easily get tiring or boring. The surprising thing is that it doesn't. Much of this is due to just how good the cast is. Each actor gives his or her all to these roles and it shows. There is great chemistry between all of them and it is fantastic to watch them play off each other. Much of the interplay and teasing between the characters is quite funny. For the most part it is not laugh out loud funny, but it does make one smile or chuckle for a good length of it. The movie starts off as a full on comedy and gets more serious towards the end. However this works just fine because the comedy helps us get to know the characters and therefore care more during the more serious parts. Though this movie is mostly set in one room director Alex de la Iglesia and cinematographer Angel Amoros manage to keep the movie visually interesting as the camera pans from character to character in a way that makes us feel like we are sitting at the table with them.

A problem with this movie though is that it can be too safe. The basic story is a fascinating one and while what they do with it is good, one can't help but wish they had gone further in some ways. With the exception of one twist, what comes out about the characters feels conventional and predictable. However we should not be angry at this film for what it isn't but instead enjoy it for what it is and it is a good movie that kept me entertained for its entire length.

-Michael J. Ruhland