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Perfect Strangers [2001]
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Drama arises from the emergence of truth and buried bits of the past, as old photographs are screened to family members provoking curiosity about what lies behind the images. Scratch a surface and everywhere there's pain and mystery. Filmed in lavish London settings where everything is clean and sleek, Perfect Strangers makes for slick visual entertainment. Although the dialogue is stilted and at times surreal, the music by Adrian Johnston cannot be faulted. --Joan Byrne When Daniel attends an extraordinary reunion with his parents, he discovers a world he hardly knew existed. Seduced by the glamour of this new world, Daniel adopts the role of go-between for his glamorous Aunt Alice and his dazzling cousins Rebecca (Claire Skinner) and Charles (Toby Stephens). But even the most honourable of intentions have the potential to go disastrously wrong … DVD Technical Information:
RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £11.48 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Perfect Strangers, Stephen Poliakoff's TV drama, depicts an upper-class English family where distrust, dysfunction and despair are guests at the party. "As you know, in all families, things happen", says the cool Lindsay Duncan. That's the premise: things happen, some of them nasty. The family, once "mini-Rothchilds" and still "drowning in money", are gathered together in an opulent hotel for a grand reunion; the only thing wrong with the idea is that many of them are perfect strangers and the event begins to look more like a conference than an event with heart. Into the blend of well-heeled guests comes the Hillingdon contingent led by Raymond (Michael Gambon), the black ram of the family. His son, Daniel, is a surveyor and true to his profession sets about assessing the fault lines running through the family. Underlying it all is a sense of unease so that even pleasantries come across as deeply unpleasant. Raymond warns us that: "Everybody always lies".
Editorial
DVD Description
Winner of Best Actor Award for Michael Gambon at the BAFTAs, 2002. Written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff. Starring Michael Gambon, Lindsay Duncan, Matthew Macfadyen, Claire Skinner and Toby Stephens, with Timothy Spall.
Editorial
Special Features
Editorial
Synopsis
Perfect Strangers is a drama about a family reunion as told from the point of view of Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen). One of Daniel's relatives, Stephen (Anton Lester), has an archive of family photographs, which he is happy to share with everyone. This leads to Daniel discovering a whole other side to his family as secrets are uncovered and he meets relatives for the first time.
Editorial
Mail On Sunday
"Intelligent and moving, full of rich stories, sudden sex and sinister secrecy …"
Editorial
The Times
"A superlative blend of story theme and character, acted by an incomparable cast"
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The Guardian
"Stephen Poliakoff’s sumptuous drama … is vividly and beautifully told"
Magnificent!
Review date: 2007-04-24 Rating: 10 out of 10
In "Almost Strangers," Stephen Poliakoff weaves a subtle spell. I recall thoroughly enjoying the engaging story and the superb acting--after all, one cannot miss with Michael Gambon, Matthew Macfadyen, and Toby Stephens--when, totally unawares, I had become so entranced with the stories within the story of an extended family, that I had to watch all 237 minutes of it at one sitting.
Since the story is told from the point of view of Daniel (the son of the black sheep of the clan), who knows very little about the rest of the family, the viewer is put into a similar position, first of discomfort, as he confronts the stereotypes concomittant with meeting strangers, and finally of fascinated affection, as he slowly unravels the startling secrets not only of his family but also of his own past.
Nor do the writers disappoint; all the clues deftly planted in the first scenes of the film, are revealed in a magical ending.
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Reviews
A spellbinding achievement
Review date: 2006-10-27 Rating: 10 out of 10
A gentle, yet powerful and moving tale of family history, secrets and relationships, set over the weekend of a family reunion event, and then a later weekend at a family wedding.
As with all Poliakoff dramas, the pace of the story-telling, the length of scene, the camera work, are all designed to slow the tale down, to make the viewer ease into the story and the characters, to extend and challenge their 21st century attention span.
The casting is superlative, and every actor turns in flawless performance: Matthew MacFadyen's combination of youthful arrogance with a pervasive uncertainty and inferiority around his family; Lindsay Duncan's graceful noblesse which hides a painful story; Michael Gambon's irritable yet troubled father. Each character is a finely worked, intricate creation.
Another Poliakoff trait used here (and seen even more strongly in Shooting the Past) is the use of historical documents, particularly photographs, to flesh out characters' stories. He uses the images, breathing life into them through flashbacks, to draw meaning from the past, lighting on modernist "moments of being" to create empathy and understanding for his characters.
I could go on with the purple prose as this really is one of the finest examples of TV drama I have ever seen. In short, I couldn't recomend it enough.
No real story
Review date: 2005-12-08 Rating: 6 out of 10
There did not seem to be a real story to this production although the acting was very good.
A moving but never sentimental story
Review date: 2004-03-05 Rating: 10 out of 10
If we ever had any doubts, Perfect Strangers confirms that Poliakoff is the best writer for TV in the UK (and the world?). Also worthy of special praise is the score composer, Adrian Johnston. The music is such an integral aspect, forming a thread which runs through the whole story. His haunting themes offer a real insight into the feelings of the characters and highlight echoes of the past.
For me, the greatest achievement of the piece is that it is deeply moving without ever becoming sentimental. This is primarily because of the performances. I have never seen such a large and talented group of actors in one program. The central performances of Matthew Macfadyen, Michael Gambon, Lindsay Duncan and Claire Skinner are rich with emotion and conviction. But it is the fact that all the actors surrounding them are so universally excellent which truly marks Perfect Strangers out.
Having never had more than a passing interest in my genealogy, this story has really tempted me to delve deeper into my family. Themes of connection to relatives both living and dead, permeate the piece. The feelings of being on the outside of a group and of inclusion and exclusion are ones we can all empathise with.
What transforms Perfect Strangers from a good drama to a brilliant one, are the stories. Structured around the amazing photographs and delivered beautifully, the tales of Michael, the sisters and Richard are thoroughly compelling. And the photos of Raymond’s father and of Daniel as a boy are spellbinding.
What I have heard of the commentary so far isn’t fantastically illuminating, but fairly interesting for a dedicated fan. Altogether, a tender, moving and beautiful piece of television.
Picturing the past
Review date: 2004-02-13 Rating: 10 out of 10
This is one of the most interesting and emotionally charged dramas I've ever seen. Stephen Poliakoff proves to be an extremely talented writer and director.
"Perfect Strangers" focuses around a family reunion where the protagonist, Daniel, meets relations he never knew existed. During this event he becomes infatuated with one of his cousins, Rebecca, and uncovers an intriguing family history.
The tales which are revealed to Daniel are what makes this piece so memorable. This story deals with loss, discovery and understanding. The piece also has the interesting concept of using pictures to reveal the past. Questions are raised about photos the characters see, such as when, where and why they were taken. More importantly, can you look deeper into a photo to discover it's true meaning and the tale behind it? "Perfect Strangers" makes you want to learn more about your own family and analyse your photo collection!
"Perfect Strangers" successfully conveys the mixture of personalities that you can find within one family. The cast are outstanding. Matthew Macfadyen is captivating as the gentle Daniel and Michael Gambon's performance as his father is wonderful. The pair work well together and you really get a sense of the father/son relationship. Michael Gambon's dinner speech scene is particularly effective, as it emphasises how you can feel love and embarassment towards a relation simultaneously.
This story has a satisfying conclusion too. You don't feel that there is anything unresolved at the end and all the characters appear stronger by the experiences they have had.
"Perfect Strangers" is a truly amazing piece which shouldn't be missed. Perhaps what makes it so powerful is the idea that so many emotions and tales can be captured with the click of a camera. Have you captured yours yet?
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Michael Gambon
Matthew Macfadyen
Claire Skinner
Lindsay Duncan
Toby Stephens
Creators:
Michael Gambon (Primary Contributor)
Lindsay Duncan (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014503132620
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: Box set, PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2004-02-09
Number of discs: 2
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 237 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2001
Language: English (Original Language)