Product Description

When Melanie goes home from the pub with the best looking man in the room, she’s captivated by his charm and attentiveness. He sails her away to his ‘castle’ – a rundown shack on a deserted island. But as his passion becomes obsession and romance turns to rage, Melanie realizes that she has been kidnapped. Torn between fear and desire, Melanie must escape her schizophrenic suitor. A moment of panic leads to murder and madness. Melanie’s time is running out, but for her perfect stranger, it may already be too late.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #60387 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-06-22
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 96 minutes

Customer Reviews

The real Cast Away !
Don't listen to those giving it a one *. Try to watch this movie on a big screen TV in a dark room with a decent sound system. I guarantee you will be lost for 2 hours. Visuals are just stunning! You won't see visuals like this in your typical run of the mill Hollywood flick. And don't worry about the plot, its complexity , or lack thereof..you will be totally immersed in this movie. There are critics who think there have to be twists and turns in the plot, propane tanks exploding, cars jumping off bridges, and other things to make a movie watchable. Pay no attention to them. Just go and watch, you won't be disappointed.

Romance for the Anti-Romantic
I agree with the reviewers who pronouce this movie "bizarre" and "surreal". My response is, "And is that a problem?" At first this film masquerades as a thriller, but while you enjoy, watch closely. Perfect Strangers pivots seamlessly into a completely different and strikingly original film. Set against archetypal images of the sea and the epic-scale landscape of western New Zealand, this is a two character film, built on one man and one woman's mental images of the ideal romantic partner. The film defies categorization -- part black comedy, part romance, part thriller, part psychological study, with a tad of social commentary on the side. If you like your thrillers straight up and your film genres clean and neat, then just skip this film. It will infuriate you.

Rachel Blakely is terrific. Her performance makes her richly simple character accessible to all of us on the outside looking in and feeling a little like voyeurs in the process. And Sam Neill, ah........, Sam Neill. He makes 50s look incredibly sexy without any effort at all. His expressive face drives whole sections of the narrative and his nuanced performance is, in a word, great. Pardon me while I hyperventilate.

If you like the movie, then check out Gaylene Preston's director's commentary on the DVD. You'll like the film even more. Fine soundtrack too.

Quirky to the max
I saw this movie on Air New Zealand last summer and it still haunts me. Sometimes you are so tired on that flight you are not sure if you are dreaming or if it is the movie, but if I remember right, it has beautiful scenery and strange characters doing odd things. Love conquers all, right, even death in this case. A must see if you like odd little character films with a dash of thriller.