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The Comfort of Strangers (1990)
Director: Paul Schrader
Cast overview: Christopher Walken, Rupert Everett
Running time: 107 minutes
This Paul Schrader-directed film attracted my attention partly because it seemed similar to Roeg's Don't Look Now given its Venice setting, but also because the synopsis gave the impression of an interesting thriller. The film is certainly unsettling, thanks in part to the setting but also thanks to the overwhelming feeling of foreboding and anticipation you get when watching it. The occasional cutaways to Walken's character's monologues give you enough to keep you interested but not too much to send you in the opposite direction.
The acting from Everett and Richardson as the English couple does seem a bit wooden at times, although perhaps that's my being overly critical. Walken, however, is superb - every role I've seen him in has been played excellently, with his sly villainous qualities coming to the fore once again here. What frustrates me most about this film is the potential it had - there were some talented names involved with this yet the end product is slightly unsatisfying. It's nevertheless a decent film, but there's the unerring feeling that it could have been so much better. It's generally slow-paced, which isn't necessarily its death knell, but it does allow tedium to set in at times where the only thing that kept me interested was Walken's character and the impending finale. There are also times when the story stretches the bounds of credibility, and that's something else that - while I'm not sure if Ian McEwan's source material included such elements - should have been considered more deeply.
This is an okay film, but - like its natural predecessor Don't Look Now - it feels lacking in several areas, which is a shame because it had undoubted potential given the host of talented names, the wonderful setting, and the emotive music that combine to create something atmospheric, even if the plot is somewhat lacking.
Quotes
Robert: Let me tell you something: My father was a very big man. And all his life he wore a black mustache. When it was no longer black, he used a small brush, such as ladies use for their eyes. Mascara.
Caroline: Are you in love?
Mary: Well, I... I do love him, I suppose. Not quite like when we first met. I trust him, really. He's my closest friend. But, what do you mean by in-love?
Caroline: I mean that you'd do absolutely anything for the other person, and you'd let them do absolutely anything to you. Anything...
Mary: Anything?
Caroline: I knew that fantasy was passing into reality. Have you ever experienced that? It's like stepping into a mirror.
Trailer
Director: Paul Schrader
Cast overview: Christopher Walken, Rupert Everett
Running time: 107 minutes
This Paul Schrader-directed film attracted my attention partly because it seemed similar to Roeg's Don't Look Now given its Venice setting, but also because the synopsis gave the impression of an interesting thriller. The film is certainly unsettling, thanks in part to the setting but also thanks to the overwhelming feeling of foreboding and anticipation you get when watching it. The occasional cutaways to Walken's character's monologues give you enough to keep you interested but not too much to send you in the opposite direction.
The acting from Everett and Richardson as the English couple does seem a bit wooden at times, although perhaps that's my being overly critical. Walken, however, is superb - every role I've seen him in has been played excellently, with his sly villainous qualities coming to the fore once again here. What frustrates me most about this film is the potential it had - there were some talented names involved with this yet the end product is slightly unsatisfying. It's nevertheless a decent film, but there's the unerring feeling that it could have been so much better. It's generally slow-paced, which isn't necessarily its death knell, but it does allow tedium to set in at times where the only thing that kept me interested was Walken's character and the impending finale. There are also times when the story stretches the bounds of credibility, and that's something else that - while I'm not sure if Ian McEwan's source material included such elements - should have been considered more deeply.
This is an okay film, but - like its natural predecessor Don't Look Now - it feels lacking in several areas, which is a shame because it had undoubted potential given the host of talented names, the wonderful setting, and the emotive music that combine to create something atmospheric, even if the plot is somewhat lacking.
Quotes
Robert: Let me tell you something: My father was a very big man. And all his life he wore a black mustache. When it was no longer black, he used a small brush, such as ladies use for their eyes. Mascara.
Caroline: Are you in love?
Mary: Well, I... I do love him, I suppose. Not quite like when we first met. I trust him, really. He's my closest friend. But, what do you mean by in-love?
Caroline: I mean that you'd do absolutely anything for the other person, and you'd let them do absolutely anything to you. Anything...
Mary: Anything?
Caroline: I knew that fantasy was passing into reality. Have you ever experienced that? It's like stepping into a mirror.
Trailer