The Business of Strangers Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)December 1st, 2001
THE BUSINESS OF STRANGERS
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2001 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
As two women are prone to do when spending time together in intimate places like a hotel sauna, the talk will turn to that favorite movie topic -- their "first time." Julie Styron (Stockard Channing), a type-A, older executive, confesses to Paula Murphy (Julia Stiles), her young and nosy technical assistant, that her first time happened with clients at a football game. This first time in question, however, isn't sex. What Paula asks Julie about is when she experienced her first hot flash. Paula likes to play people like yo-yos, and the query is calculated to remind Julie that she's no spring chicken anymore.
Being a systems engineer for Julie's company is only Paula's "money job." What really turns Paula on is writing, but not just any writing. Her passion is non-fiction short stories about events that she has experienced (read "caused"). "I like the sloppiness of real life," Paula says is the reason why she prefers real stories to made-up ones. Paula's life is one that she fashions on the fly, making up stories to drive events to her liking.
Writer/director Patrick Stettner's THE BUSINESS OF STRANGERS wants to be a feminine twist on IN THE COMPANY OF MEN with a little bit of VERY BAD THINGS thrown in. His script is a near miss, although his directing is dead-on. As the movie taxies down the runway, it never quite achieves lift-off.
The first time that Julie meets Paula, Paula is late to a customer presentation due to a plane delay. A take-no-prisoners boss, Julie gets on her cell phone to bark orders back to headquarters. "She's late; she's fired," Julie commands. Paula, with her dramatic tattoos and exposed midriff, has rebellious written all over her, so crossing her isn't something to be done lightly. Paula loves to taunt Julie by calling her "The Duchess," but words turn out to be the least of Julie's problems.
Once back at the hotel, Julie meets Nick Harris (Fred Weller), a slimy but attractive headhunter. Before you know it, the three of them end up in Julie's hotel suite, where the aforementioned VERY BAD THINGS happen. (The funniest moments occur earlier when the two women shock a crowded elevator full of men with a pseudo-lesbian sexual argument.)
The fatal flaw of the film is that the characters are never quite believable, which precludes our getting emotionally involved in the story. Conversions to the dark side happen too quickly, and, overall, the excellent actors just don't get the script that they deserve. Still, parts of this dark comedy are quite intriguing. And, after you see it, you'll certainly be on your guard on future business trips.
THE BUSINESS OF STRANGERS runs 1:23. It is rated R for "strong language and some sexuality" and would be acceptable for older teenagers.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, December 7, 2001. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.
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