Between Strangers Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Three strangers - one secret.
Toronto, 2001. Three women in spiritual crisis. In secret from her dismissive husband, Olivia draws what she sees in dreams. Catherine, a world-class cellist, has abandoned her husband and daughter to hunt down her father. Photojournalist Natalia, in her famous father's footsteps, scores her first Time Magazine cover, but realizes she has paid an incalculable price for the photo. Olivia has another secret besides her art; Catherine makes discoveries about her father; Natalia receives a gift that's undeserved: these complications push each woman in a new and unexpected direction.
| Sophia Loren | Olivia |
| Mira Sorvino | Natalia Bauer |
| Deborah Kara Unger | Catherine |
| Pete Postlethwaite | John |
| Julian Richings | Nigel |
| Klaus Maria Brandauer | Alexander Bauer |
| Malcolm McDowell | Alan Baxter |
| Len Doncheff | Grocery Store Owner |
| Corey Sevier | Jeb |
| Dov Tiefenbach | Matt |
| Ngozi Taymah Armatrading | Angolan War Child |
| Alex House | Kevin |
| Noam Jenkins | Rogelio |
| Sydney Pearson | Little Girl |
| Andrew Tarbet | George |
| Edoardo Ponti |
6.10 out of 10 (327 votes)
Visitor Reviews
A multi talented (and multi nationed) cast work in telling this tale of three women confronting their lives
posted on 16 Sep 2008Between strangers tells the very loosely connected story of three women, all having lost an important aspect of their lives and the chance to confront their old ghosts.The three women are acted by three ages of women; Mira Sorvino, Debra Unger and finally the perennial Sophia Loren looking deliberately dowdy. They are supported by an able cast of some of Europe's actors, representing where the films finances were presumably gathered- Gerard depardieu (France) in an almost cameo appearance, Klaus Marie Brandauer (Germany)as an ambitious photojournalist father, Pete Postlethwaite(UK) as an embittered ex-runner.Add to that Sophia(Italy), Mira(USA) and Debra Unger(Canada) amongst others and this film must have cost more in airfares than any other cost.It is the second film by Edoardo Ponti, son of Carlo Ponti and more famously Sophia Loren. He never lets that get in the way of the story and directs her without kid gloves. He also wrote the script and, as a second film, it succeeds well with a story that moves along, letting us get to know and empathize with the characters and care what happens.
Solid film
posted on 18 Mar 2008Between Strangers is the sort of film that never gets made in America- not in Hollywood big budget films nor in independent films, because it is a film that takes its own sweet time in conveying its ideas to the viewer. That's not to say that it's a great film, nor even a pretty good one, but watching this 2003 Canadian-Italian film on DVD, shot in Toronto, gives a viewer an insight into how other people enjoy the same basic forms of art.This film follows the lives of three different women, each of whom has issues surrounding a trauma involving a little girl, and their own troubles relating to the men in their lives. That the film makes heavy-handed usage of a little girl (Sydney Pearson) that appears to each of them once, as a symbol, is a flaw, since there was no need for symbolism in an otherwise realistic film. The cast is loaded with international film heavyweights, not the least of whom is Sophia Loren, whose son Edoardo Ponti (whose father is Carlo Ponti), in his first time at a film's helm, wrote and directed this film. She plays Olivia, a woman who works in a Toronto supermarket, and years earlier married an ex-athlete, now wheelchair bound invalid, John, played by Pete Postlethwaite, a man whose rage at the world is directed like a laser at his masochistic wife. Her secret is that she had a daughter out of wedlock, as a teenager, and was forced to give her up for adoption by her father. Now, the daughter (Wendy Crewson) is a famed sculptress, whose fame seems to coincide with Olivia's own rediscovery of her drawing talent, unused since her pregnancy, of works of art eerily similar to her daughter's, and encouraged by Max (Gerald Depardieu), her gardener friend at a local park. The second woman lead is Natalia Bauer, a photojournalist played by Mira Sorvino, whose photos from the war in Angola have landed her a cover of Time magazine, much to the delight of her father, Alexander (Klaus Maria Brandauer), himself a legendary photojournalist, who both encourages and discourages her passive-aggressively. Yet, she is guilt-ridden by the girl in her photo, because she could have saved the child's life, rather than gotten the photo. The third woman is Catherine (Debra Unger), a famed cellist who is stalking her ex-convict father, Alan Baxter (Malcolm McDowell), after he is released from prison after twenty-two years. She blames him for her mother's death, and this crisis has made her leave her marriage and daughter, who leaves plaintive messages on her answering machine.That's the set up. Little overtly occurs in the film…. Sophia Loren gives a magnificent performance in what is reputedly the hundredth film of her career. Those who have chided her as building a career on her sexuality have never seen this woman's eyes. She is one of those rarities who acts with every square inch of her body. Postlethwaite, as her husband, is also very good, and it should not surprise that the best story in the film is the one the filmmaker accorded his mother.Yet, I felt, to a degree, as if I were watching a slightly better than average telefilm from the 1970s, at times, but one that never quite gels into something first rate nor substantial. This is the screenplay's fault, and thus the burden lies with Ponti. It is one of those rare works of art that doesn't terribly move you, but you are better for having seen it, even though it will not haunt you. If that seems like a very mixed reaction, then I have succeeded in recapitulating my experience in watching it, and- for reasons that elude me, and despite all its flaws, I think you should watch it, too.
What a drag...
posted on 01 Nov 2007Over the top drama. A very boring movie, where every one has way too much grief and sorrow. Keep it small and do not overdo it man. This film is way too far-fetched and unbelievable. Speaking of incredibility: consider the implausible coincidences. Olivia is dreaming of images of which she makes drawings that look exactly like her lost daughter's sculptures. By accident, she then sees this daughter in a very staged television interview. The woman who just made a photo shoot for Time magazine in Angola happens to stumble upon an Angolan woman at the local market. Yeah right. Just to make the story-telling easier I guess. None of the actors really outshines here. Famous names, low profiles. The fact that half of the cast is not native English-speaking adds to the very slow-paced, troubled effort in natural acting. No irony, no humour, this movie takes itself far too serious. If you're still not sure, just watch the very stupid ending and all that I've said becomes clear. If you would like to watch an intelligent, well-acted parallel lives women's drama, check out 'Things you can tell just by looking at her'.
Connection between the leads is too far fetched
posted on 02 Oct 2007This movie was better than expected, well acted and the little dramas were sincere. It's got Deborah Kara Unger AND Mira Sorvino plus many other high caliber actors in small parts. But there's some negatives that keep it from greatness.The 3 vandals were too disturbing for this kind of film and made me want to twist their necks. No such justice in the movie.The connection between the three female leads is too far fetched and virtually non-existent. The ending does not make any sense, why are these 3 women waiting at the same table at the airport, they all have different destinations. The little girl makes no sense other than being a poorly constructed plot device to link the three women. Unnecessary too because this story already has a link between them: they're on a crossroad between the past and the present, up to something new in their life.Also, the photographer accidentally meeting with an Angolian, as was mentioned here before, is WAY too coincidental.It seems that this kind of storytelling has become popular with Short Cuts and Magnolia, of which the first is by far the best.
Horrible movie
posted on 30 Nov 2006Rented it because I'm a Sophia Loren fan. It's obvious that she got the illustrious cast to sign on so her son would have something to do. He is a bad writer and even worse director. No energy at all in the film, lots of dead space, trite camera angles; the women in the film are colorless, downtrodden, and hopeless. This portrayal of women is surprising since Eduoardo Ponti's mother is the vivacious Sophia Loren. The camera angles are especially unflattering to her. What's up with that? This film is a complete waste of talent considering the big stars in the film. Even after the women make life-altering changes, they still look weepy and pathetic. The script has every cliché in the book.
Great Start
posted on 18 Aug 2006"First time everything"..is Sophia Loren's closing statement in the movie. A suitable statement that incidentally mirrors Edoardo Ponti's film making debut; his first feature film. The film: technically impeccable (very well shot), touching and deep story, and obviously given a great vote of confidence by the presence of its remarkable cast. Sophia Loren, legendary in her performance as she is as a person, has a lot to celebrate about this film; her 100th and her son's first; a demonsration of success for both mother and son in terms of performance and talent for making a film that has been written and directed very courageously. "First time everything"?... well then...Bravo!
Not a bad little effort
posted on 30 Jan 2006I caught this on a recent airline flight. I had seen the dreadful reviews given it when it played the Toronto Film Festival so was prepared for appalling schlock. Considering it was Sophia's son's first effort as a director (though admittedly surrounding himself with a stellar cast from Sophia cashing in some major chips)he extracted good performances from everyone. A very light story involving three disparate women is gracefully laced together in the end as they come to their own conclusions as to what their lives should be about. 6 out of 10.
Just a few steps away
posted on 13 Aug 2005The elements of Between Strangers are impressive. Against the background of a Toronto made beautiful by selectivity, a cast of skilled actors work to fulfil the writer's deep material. The film keeps one's attention thanks to the actors' sensitive work. The director's interweaving of the subplots is often moving, sometimes clumsy. The film also puzzles us with the inexplicable behaviours of some of the characters, and the understatement of some themes that beg for deeper exploration. Nevertheless, a praiseworthy effort. 6.5/10.
"Head Piece" Misses the Target
posted on 12 Mar 2005I heartily recommend that you watch this movie for the acting, not the plot. Briefly, this is a half-baked concept, sloppily written around the edges, but the handful of actors in the high-profile roles make it worth renting -- as long as you're not expecting more. The main characters are excellent in their roles, with a supporting cast deserving of award nominations. Sophia Loren does more with few words than most of our cinema stars; the rest of the cast match her well. The supporting actors with not quite too many words walk the fine line between doing too much and too little, and make each arc come alive for the woman in the middle.But give up on the plot. The three arcs do not share the common thread stated in the promotional materials. The little girl who appears to each is not a herald of emotional transition; rather, she is Ponti's (writer/director) admission that the preceding scene, supposedly emotional, has a weak ending, just as with the movie's ending (which is more like a cartoon ending than a high-profile movie). The girl is a pop-up window with a tiny banner reading "missing climax".I don't insist on having a cheesy Hollywood ending, where all the loose ends are tied up and the main characters are happy. "Between Strangers" simply fails to tie the three stories together. They are not "intertwined". They're paced similarly, but hardly parallel. When the movie finishes at a minor cadence point for each, there's no real feeling of resolution or accomplishment; any of the three could easily return to the previous life. The loose ends left behind are typical for real life -- in fact, none of the three seems to feel any need to clean up any loose ends. They all come off as self-centered, thoughtless people in this respect. (To be honest, several of their loose ends deserve no more.) Still, the plots start in the middle, end at a minor cadence, and don't really develop cleanly on the way. Various minor characters drift in and out, apparently important to the central woman, but the writer never informs us of what they're doing in her life, why she pays so much attention to them.
A wonderful, poignant movie...
posted on 09 Sep 2004What a wonderful film! What a superb cast. What a sensitive, haunting story. Everything comes to-gether --- the music, the cinematography, the story --- to produce a beautiful motion picture. A very different role for Sophia Loren. As you might expect, she excels. But so does everybody else. The scene in the book store is one of cinema's great moments. The silver screen has invincible power when it used so masterfully. And how very nice to see Toronto play itself for a change instead of acting as a stand in for some other place. A few films like this would do far more to revive the city's shattered image than concerts by the Stones and visits by Conan O'Brien. This film is a keeper!!!
Breathtaking
posted on 15 Jul 2003It is rare coming from such a young filmmaker to see a film with this maturity and understanding for women. I recommend it to anyone who wishes not only to be moved but also inspired by the story's message: the courage to be yourself no matter what. This film will stay in me for a long long time.
Merely Pretty, Merely Nice
posted on 27 Feb 2003I enjoyed attending the North American premiere of "Between Friends" at the Toronto International Film Festival (September 2002), but without the star-studded event -- attended by Sophia Loren, Deborah Kara Unger, Mira Sorvino, Pete Postlethwaite, Director Edoardo Ponti, and others -- the movie would only have been mildly interesting. Comparing the movie with the other films at the festival, I gave it a generous 5 stars and the movie might not have deserved even that. However, I admit that even the worst movie I saw at Film Festival received five stars from me. All the films at the Festival seemed to have a little something, but I just wish this movie had had a little more of that something.If readers are interested in seeing a 2002 movie starring several different actresses in the leading roles, I would rather they saw the French movie "8 Femmes" (8 Women) which was a humorous and surprisingly musical mystery directed by François Ozon.In contrast, "Between Friends" had its pretty moments, but was rather unsatisfying at the end. Hopefully, director Edoardo Ponti (Sophia Loren's son) will gain more experience and courage, so that he will grow beyond the merely pretty and the merely nice.
starts off slow--give it time and you'll be amply rewarded
posted on 29 Dec 2002After about half an hour, I was almost ready to turn off the DVD because it seemed pretty boring and pointless. However, I stuck with it and was very amply rewarded as the movie came together to form a coherent whole. Up until about 2/3 the way through the movie, actually, how these three stories interrelated was completely uncertain--other than the fact the three main characters lived near each other. It was only later that the theme of loss and eventual redemption came to light. Three women all coming to terms with loss in their lives, then working through the crisis and ultimately making major decisions in their lives--and coincidentally meeting at the same table at the airport in the end.Sophia Loren plays, naturally, an older lady. Suddenly, she begins compulsively creating beautiful pictures but hides them from everyone. The reason for this is rather mystical but interesting. These pictures are a way for her coming to terms with a daughter she once gave up for adoption. While it was the best thing at the time, she is racked with guilt and failure over this.Mira Sorvino plays a photo journalist whose father is also a well-respected photo journalist (Klaus Maria Brandaur). He sees her as a "chip off the old block" after one of her photos makes the cover of Time Magazine. But, for some inexplicable reason she can't remember having taken the picture! Eventually, you figure out why and she is suddenly racked with guilt--should she photograph misery or do something to make a real difference is her dilemma.Deborah Kara Unger is an exceptionally talented cellist who has left her husband and young daughter. At the same time, her father (Malcolm McDowell--in a very restrained role) is released from prison after serving over 20 years for murdering Unger's mother. She finds she can't get on with her life and hovers between wanting to kill her dad, or herself or just allow her life to spin out of control--regardless, she is so racked with conflicting feelings she cannot function.How all three of these women resolve these dilemmas and deal with their regrets make this a great film. By the way, be sure to have some tissues nearby--you'll probably need them.
An absolute delight
posted on 16 Oct 2002Everything about this movie was perfect - the three lead characters were played with such depth and restraint! Although I have never been in the position of any of these women (luckily), I feel like I could relate to their emotions, their ambivalence, their sadness and their ultimate strength. If ever there was a movie that showed the power of living through adversity, this is it! Gerard Depardieu was lovely as an intuitive friend - he was in it just a little, but his presence always moved the movie forward. Sophia Loren's husband was a perfectly human foil - both had shattered dreams and took two different paths in dealing with it, but both paths were completely understandable. Although his character could have been horribly despicable (and, boy!, some of his dialog was shockingly mean), he didn't seem like a monster. Not even the hoodlums were one-dimensional. Miro Sorvino took my breath away, Deborah Unger's restraint was outstanding and Sophia Loren - well, her best role, ever. This is a movie for the down-hearted, for those at impossible crossroads, and for those who like hopeful - not happy - endings.
The absence of synergism
posted on 05 Jul 2009"Between Strangers" tells of three women with something in common. They are all laconic, slothlike zombies moving from scene to scene as though they bear the weight of the world on their shoulders. Though this film offers a good cast and execution, it is little more than a trio of short subjects with an unfortunately bland and overly ponderous result lacking the only reason to make one film from three stories; synergism. (C+)