Perfetti sconosciuti

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!

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".

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

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.

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