PERFECT STRANGERS/ SCONOSCIUTI PERFETTI

Italy, 2016, 97 minutes, Colour.
Giuseppe Battiston, Anna Foglietta, Marco Giallini, Edoardo Leo, Alba Rohrwacher, Valerio Mastandrea, Kasia Smutniak, Benedetta Porcaroli.
Directed by Paulo Genovese.

Any film with the title, Perfect Strangers, is more than likely to be about people who think that they know each other, who are friends, but discover, as with the Italian title of the film, they are completely unknown to each other, even if they have been part of each other’s lives since childhood.

The main part of this comedy drama is a meal, the hosts, Rocco and Eva, he a surgeon, specialising in mammary operations, she a psychiatrist – though failing dismally with her teenage daughter with whom she angrily clashes; a newly married couple, Cosimo and Bianca, he a taxi driver after failing in many jobs, she feeling initially an outsider to the group but at last feeling part of it; long married couple with two children at home plus the mother-in-law, he seen sitting morosely on the toilet before leaving, she fussy and taking off her panties before setting out, something of significance later in the film; the last guest is Peppe, who turns up late without his partner.

Having introduced the characters, the film spends almost all of its time at the dinner. This is a good ensemble piece, the ensemble cast working very well together and off each other. All seems happy and chatty at first. Then Eva, perhaps from some deep psychological motivation, suggests they play a game, everyone putting their mobile phone on the dinner table and, allowing everybody to listen in to the call on speaker. Potential for jokes and for some serious trouble – the potential from secrets and lies.

There are some ordinary calls but things get more difficult as the meal progresses. One of the moving calls is from the angry daughter phoning her father about her date, about the possibility of a sexual encounter with her boyfriend, condoms – and the father giving some sage advice for her to make her own decision but offering many factors for her to take into consideration. The problem with the mother-in-law arises, a nursing home ringing to offer a place, much to the upset of her son.

One of the biggest complications comes when Lele confides in Peppe that he is expecting a call at 10 o’clock, a provocative photo from a woman friend and he asks Peppe to change phones with him, and claim the photo. One of the consequences is that there is more embarrassment for Lele in answering the phone calls for Pepe, a relationship that no one at the table was expecting and Lele becoming more and more awkward in covering for Peppe.

Cosimo has seen something of a man about town and that is certainly true of the phone calls that he receives, upsetting Bianca and mystifying one or other of the guests.

Dialogue, of course, is most important for the film, and it is very well written, sharp, humorous, sometimes biting, with much underlying seriousness. One of the difficulties is that as the film closes, fairly rapidly, one has to pay quite a deal of attention to work out whether there is any forgiveness, understanding, further deception… The other advantage of the film is the editing so that there is a judicious focus on the person talking and then judicious focus on the listeners, which means that the audience is comfortable, having been given enough opportunity to understand the characters speaking as well as gauge reactions.

The film has won many awards, especially in Italy, but the troubles of an ordinary range of 40-somethings will resonate with many audiences around the world.

1. The title, the ironies of friendship, secrets and lies?

2. An ensemble film, the cast, the situation of the meal, the interactions?

3. The Italian flavour of the characters, the situations, the interactions? Ordinary? Universal?

4. The strength of the dialogue, communicating each character, the interactions, the editing and focus on each, the responses? The flow of the conversations? The musical score?

5. The introductions, Cosimo and Bianca, in love, sex, young?

6. Lele and Carlotta, his sitting on the toilet, the children, the television, the mother-in-law, the children going to bed, Carlotta slipping off her panties and their driving to the dinner?

7. Rocco and Eva, at home, Rocco cooking, the clash between mother and daughter, Sophia and her age, her wrangle with her mother, the appeal to her father, going out, the boyfriend, the condoms, her lies?

8. Peppe, late, Lucilla being sick?

9. Eva and the flow of the meal, talking, knowing each other for years, Bianca feeling at home rather than out of the group?

10. The suggestion about the mobile phones, the reactions, secrets and lies, reluctance, agreement, the different reactions for each one putting the phone on the table?

11. The phone calls, the initial jokes, becoming more serious? Mobile phones, intrusive, boxes and their contents, the different reactions, honesty, fears?

12. Eva as a psychiatrist, her inability to deal well with her daughter, interactions with her husband? His being a surgeon, the phone call about the breast enhancement, Eva’s intentions? Her father and his wanting a better surgeon than her husband? The revelation that Rocco was having therapy – his telling one person, their passing it on? Rocco on the phone tour from Sophia, his earnest response to her, considerate, his having given her the condoms, his wise advice about time, her consideration and decision-making? The irony of Cosimo and the phone call and the earings and Eva’s reaction? Her despising of Cosimo?

13. Carlotta, phone call from the nursing home, the surfacing of her irritation with her mother-in-law, everybody’s reaction – more supportive of her?

14. Lele, expecting the phone call and the picture from the woman at 10 o’clock, the cigarette, discussion with Peppe, asking him to change and to pretend?

15. Peppe receiving the picture, everybody’s reaction? Lele, the phone calls from Lucio, his stating that it was a friend from work, the lies, the emergence of the gay relationship and kisses, his reaction? Carlotta, her questioning of her husband? The friends and their shock about homosexuality? Peppe finally admitting that he was gay, the use of language, names, his reaction?

16. Cosimo, his different jobs, marrying Bianca, driving the taxi? The phone call, the revelation about the pregnancy, the dealer ringing about the rings and the earings, his being unmasked, Bianca and her reaction, Carlotta helping her, being sick? Eva and the situation with the earings?

17. Friends, listening to one another, the revelations, their presuppositions? The possibility of overcoming these experiences, forgiveness, hope or not? And the finale of Pepe’s call and his stopping his car and doing his weight loss exercises on the bridge?