THE BUSINESS OF STRANGERS

US, 2001, 80 minutes, Colour
Stockard Channing, Julia Styles, Frederick Weller
Directed by Patrick Stettner

The Business of Strangers takes us into the world of corporate business. While Glengarry Glen Ross and Boiler Room were also concerned with business, its competitiveness, its ambition and greed, they revealed a man's world of board rooms and market floors. The macho ethos of achievement at all costs defined the behaviour of the characters.

We are not taken into board rooms in The Business of Strangers, merely an initial few moments of an information technology presentation. The rest of the movie takes place in a hotel where the three central characters are stranded, waiting for delayed flights. This is a world of women, of a feminine ethos of relationships, which do include power and control.

The movie seems as if it could have been based on a play. It plays like a chamber piece, mainly a two-hander. It is, however, an original screenplay written by a man. The skilful performances of Stockard Channing (a long stage and screen career from Grease to Six Degrees of Separation) as a burnt out executive who could either be fired or named as CEO and of Julia Styles (Save the Last Dance, Mona Lisa Smile) as an angry young woman who may or may not be telling the truth about anything in her life, ensure that a women's perspective dominates the film. The only major role for a man is played by Frederick Weller (The Shape of Things), a corporate headhunter who becomes the target of some hatred by the women towards men.

At one point, Julia Styles notes the difference between a men's world and a women's world. This man's world is usually marked by drinking, swearing and sex talk which is generally taken for granted. This movie's woman's world is marked by the same things but seems more disturbing in the behaviour of women. That is part of the movie's challenge.

1. The title, the focus on the world of business and the people involved, the interplays of business? The three central characters as strangers, their interactions?

2. The brief running time, the film as a three-hander? The blue-grey tones, the credits with the airport tarmac, the interiors of the airport, the hotel rooms, the bars? The musical score?

3. The film as a psychodrama, exploring character, exploring the dramatic interchanges? The effect of each character on the other?

4. The screenplay's suggestions about the world of business: competitiveness, the aim for promotions, the self-sacrifice of a personal life, the world of hire and fire, deals, head-hunting?

5. Stockard Channing as Julia: her arrival at the airport, the taxi, the phone calls, the possibility of her being sacked or not, her presentation, Paula's late arrival, the presentation being terminated, the encounter outside, Julia firing Paula? Her going to her room, further phone calls, people not there, leaving messages?

6. Julia and her life alone, her rise within the power structures, in a world of men? Her marriage, her leaving her husband, her not wanting children? Her giving her live to ambition, enjoying business? The meeting and the discussion about her promotion, her being the CEO, the change of atmosphere? The discussion with Nick prior to that knowledge, her relying on him, their memories of his head-hunting her, the possibilities of other companies to go to? Meeting him after the promotion and the change of attitude, his change of attitude and being more honest?

7. The airport and the delays for Nick, for Paula? Everybody back at the hotel? Paula and the encounter with Julia, their discussions, Paula's surly attitude, staying? Julia's apologies? The issue of the room, offering her a room and paying for it? Going to the room, the part of the hotel that was being renovated? Paula and some small revelation of herself, her seeming contempt of the world of business, her writing short stories, her being published, not fiction but real life because it was more messy? The irony later of her concocting a story about Nick and herself?

8. Julia and Paula together, the women bonding, drinks, the decision to go for a swim, sharing clothes? The discussions, Paula exploring the medicine cabinet and taking the pills?

9. Nick, his age and experience, head-hunter, the two discussions with Julia? At the airport, back to the hotel, the discussions with the two women? Paula's story, Julia's anger? His coming to the room, his come-on, Paula drugging him, their carrying him to the abandoned room, writing graffiti all over him, Paula and her touching him? Paula tearing up the photo of his family? Their having to hide while the security guard went past? The possibility of exposure, prison, the attitude of each woman to this situation?

10. Julia confronting Paula, the truth about the story? Paula and the morning after, taking Julia's money, Julia pretending not to see her? Paula and her truculence, moods, manipulation? Her aims?

11. Julia talking to Nick the next morning, Nick as normal, his never having been to Boston? Being an ordinary person? Julia watching the silhouette of Paula at the other side of the airport lounge?

12. Julia's final decisions, her options, a life, business? The suggestions of a smile and of a decision?

13. Where did audience sympathies lie, a feminine perspective, masculine perspective, the perspective of the business world?