Amigos Amigos, Telemóveis à Parte

Um excelente filme de conversa, construído sobre uma ideia simples, mas original, com graduação através de algumas reviravoltas surpreendentes. É verdade, Woody ou Polanski ter-lhe-iam dado uma poética autoral única, mas não podemos aproveitar sem ela? O sucesso da forma convencional é ainda mais apreciado quando é «apenas» apoiado por um mero elenco apto, um ritmo acelerado e momentos sociais intensos. O telefonema da filha de 17 anos, um destaque emocional e humano do filme. Os brincos-off o destaque satírico/de comédia. E um belo final ao estilo de La-la-land. Um remake americano, que subirá para cerca de 68% aqui, é mais do que provável (Bateman, Sudeikis, Vergara e outros?). (05/05/2017)

Perfect Strangers starts as a light and enjoyable relationship comedy about a group of long-time friends who, along with their partners, come to a party wanting to forget their worries, reminisce about the past, and enjoy the lunar eclipse undisturbed by their kids. Playful banter and a relaxed atmosphere lead to a foolish idea of revealing their privacy (after all, they have nothing to hide from each other) and conducting their phone calls with the speaker on. The voices of dissenting parties are silenced - those who disagree have something to hide. Soon skeletons start coming out of the closet, characters are exposed, and communication begins to dangerously falter. Positive emotions are replaced by distrust and bitterness. The comedy subtly becomes a moralistic drama. It is accurate and true to life, but I feel that for this film it applies more than to others that you need to have some life experience to fully enjoy it. It is simply a film for the middle generation who knows what a mid-life crisis is. I liked both the comedic and dramatic aspects, and I also appreciated the civility of the performances and the fresh quality of the actors. It is a movie that I will definitely come back to in the future. Overall impression: 90%. (06/06/2017)

How much do we really know about our loved ones? And how much do we even want to know about them? At first glance, Perfect Strangers is an ordinary conversational piece with an imaginative primary impulse that slowly but surely crystallizes from an initial childish game to a dense drama in which each successive message or phone call can turn the supposed reality one hundred and eighty degrees. Each new revelation tries to trump the last, and the hypocrite of the year contest is in full swing. The film offers some surprising and emotionally powerful moments (the old men on the balcony), but the biggest surprise comes at the end. Chillingly humorous to the point of being humorously chilling! (21/03/2020)

Hypocrisy is a trait possessed by almost everyone who dines together in this movie. What seems to be fun at the beginning changes with time into a brutal emotional ride that just doesn’t end. An exemplary premise reflecting the present times where people cannot live without their smartphones and while walking at the sidewalk, they spend more time looking at their screens than that sidewalk. With this dialogue-based movie the Italians did the best they could. (10/02/2018)

A very current subject treated in a very likeable way through a conversational dramedy that can be very urgent at times, but also maintains an evaluative distance through a number of light elements and deliberately exaggerated escalation. The final twist may not be worth thinking about or taking seriously in relation to the overall message, but I really enjoyed the course of the film, got to know the characters very quickly, and it flashed a minimal warning light in my head that I've seen this before somewhere else... 75% (19/02/2017)