Perfect Strangers

"Everyone has three lives: A public life. A private life... and a secret life."

2016 1h 37m IT

🙌

7.8

BANGER

★7.8TMDB · 4,706

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

During a dinner, a group of friends decide to share whatever message or phone call they will receive during the evening, with unforeseen consequences.

“Everyone has three lives: A public life. A private life... and a secret life.”

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Cast

Giuseppe Battiston
Peppe
Anna Foglietta
Carlotta
Marco Giallini
Rocco
Edoardo Leo
Cosimo
Valerio Mastandrea
Lele
Alba Rohrwacher
Bianca
Kasia Smutniak
Eva
Benedetta Porcaroli
Sofia

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Paolo Genovese
Writers: Paolo Genovese, Paolo Costella, Rolando Ravello
Languages: Italian
Countries: Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 10 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Paolo Genovese, shot by Fabrizio Lucci. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Maurizio Filardo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Consuelo Catucci shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Giuseppe Battiston and Anna Foglietta and Marco Giallini carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Everyone has three lives: A public life. A private life... and a secret life.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt4901306 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Paolo Genovese directs. Fabrizio Lucci behind the camera. Maurizio Filardo scores. Consuelo Catucci cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 10 years ago.
2Directed by Paolo Genovese, shot by Fabrizio Lucci. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Maurizio Filardo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Consuelo Catucci shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Giuseppe Battiston and Anna Foglietta and Marco Giallini carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Everyone has three lives: A public life. A private life... and a secret life.".
7IMDB entry: tt4901306 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 14 themes, including "friendship", "jealousy", "husband wife relationship", "italian".
9Released under 28 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Fabrizio Lucci
Original score: Maurizio Filardo
Editing: Consuelo Catucci
Production design: Chiara Balducci
Costume design: Grazia Materia
Makeup / hair: Fabrizio Nanni
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $32,207,491
Original language: IT
IMDB: Perfect Strangers (2016)

Awards

David di Donatello for Best Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Paolo Genovese

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Reno2016-07-14
★ 9/10
Is your cell phone safe to make a transparency? Usually the films based on the dinner party associate with either family or the friends reunion and sometimes business related affair. But there's always a reason for such gathering like it might be a wedding, funeral, anniversary, a school reunion, getting a job or promotion, victory celebration et cetera. In this film, it was some long time friends meet which seems its their regular thing to do often. This tale covers one such fine evening to reveal what they actually do. A limited cast and one night event based film that cleverly and cautiously covers sensitive topics of the married life and trust of the friendship. It has been almost a year since my last Italian film and now I'm happy for choosing this. I was not certain that I would like it till I saw it. So I would say same to you that see it first and then judge the product. This is really a good comedy-drama with a dark tone. We all adapted the modern way of life and gadgets makes so easy to accomplish things around us. In that, cell phones might come the first. Carrying it all the time became only next to wearing clothes, surely an artificial/digital sense of man. It also has some flaws, like it may land you in troubles as it's a part of AI, not human. I think it is easy to forecast a man's future by checking out his phone rather than his horoscope. Seven friends, including three married couples and one single man gather for a dinner party. They have been doing it for a very long time and that's where they all can share each others current life affair. Having some laughs and serious discussions, it defines the strength of their relationship. Every occasions won't be the same, there's always a first time for everything. That's how the event comes crashing out. While the party was going smooth, unexpectedly a game emerges that they all must place their phones on the table to prove they have no secrets from each other. Incoming and outgoing calls, texts, emails, everything must be heard by everyone at the table. What do you think would happen? Before saying anything, just place yourself in that position and do you think you can get away with a clean slate? Obviously tough to answer that, only practical observation would bring the result. "He's seeing a therapist, not a whore! Come on!" Everytime when there's an alert for an incoming call or message, the atmosphere gets more tense and as a viewer I went blinkless. It is not about what people hid from others, it is the reaction in the room when their secret was exposed. This is when adults become teenagers who try to explain the stuff when their parents find out their secrets. And so the friends become complete strangers. Because friends must back each other in the bad times, but in this scenario, it was totally out of the proportion regarding their action. Okay, if we push away the friendship, then how's the married one should take it. Feels very simple, since everyone involved in something, it has turned out to be a complicated affair. Like I said I've seen plenty of similar themed films, but this one was something unique in a simple way. There's a vast difference between what do you witness in the opening compared to how it concludes. A bad mouth can spoil a beautiful occasion, but now it is avoided since people learnt to shut their mouth. Just remember the film 'August: Osage County' and this film was no way close to it as a story, but developed to the next gen, the digital troubles the mankind had set to face. This film revealed how much a cell phone would cause trouble, then think what would happen with the robots of the tomorrow. Surely in 20-30 years from now, a similar film will be made with the bots. At some point, I thought it might be the Italian version of the 'Coherence' for inclusion of lunar eclipse in the plot. I'm not going to say anything about that, you'll get it in your watch. There's no end twist, but it was an unexpected final scene. By then you will understand the meaning of the title. Awesome screenplay and well performed actors, this is one of the best films of the year so far. This is not a sci-fi or a thriller or a visual spectacular, but a smart little drama and I'm sensing that somebody might consider it for a remake. I know everyone won't like as much I did, but I won't end my review without recommending it. If you like talk movies, sure you does enjoy it. 8.5/10

Production companies