A Marriage Relationship That Relies on Lies – The Perfect Stranger

Three couples at different stages of marriage, a single, seven friends, a dinner, and a "mobile game" under the lunar eclipse let them devour each other's privacy and secrets. The surface is a harmonious and calm gathering, but in fact there is an undercurrent. The successive exposure of various amazing insiders perfectly explains that each other who seem to be close to each other in a lying relationship is such a familiar stranger. This is the film , Perfect Stranger. Hereinafter referred to as Strangers.

The intention of the whole story of "Strangers" is undoubtedly an anatomy of human nature, and it also conducts a deep exploration of the bottom line of interpersonal relationships, especially marital relationships.

At the story level, the screenwriter uses the mainstream communication tool of the time, the mobile phone, to bring seven people together with a dinner for the entry point of the contradiction. In this confined space, the director uses a large number of character dialogues to cooperate with the back and forth of multiple cameras to advance the suspense of the story layer by layer. Character relationships are also peeled off layer by layer like peeling onions. The film is a typical single-scene story structure, in which characters usually gather in a relatively confined space at the same time for some reason or event. And because of the same incident, there are contradictions and connections between each other, and the process of finally resolving the contradictions. The biggest challenge for stories like "Deadly ID" and "Twelve Angry Men" is how to lay out suspense in a single scene and grasp the rhythm of the film. In order to make the audience look forward to the bland plot, the film connects the character relationship and contradictions through the "mobile phone game", and each "mobile phone ring" will trigger a new round of suspense and suspicion, and is also the catalyst for the escalation of contradictions between the characters. However, even if the film is fully detailed at the beginning, relying on the high-information character dialogue to promote the development of the story, which seriously affects the rhythm of the film and weakens the viewing. This results in a slightly dull first half hour of the film.

At the beginning of the film, the three groups of marriage relationships are clearly explained by the editing technique of parallel montage. The family environment and character are reflected: Cosimo and cosimo are newly married and affectionate with each other. The protagonists, Mr. and Mrs. Rocco, disagree over their daughter's education, suggesting a disagreement between the two. At the same time, the daughter's disgust also laid the groundwork for Eva's personality. The Passion of the Lehrers receded, and the relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was tense... I have to say that in the film, Rocco's joke of using his daughter's mobile phone to call Cosimo is slightly blunt. Personally, I don't think it's quite in line with Rocco's original intention of rejecting the game, and his high emotional intelligence.

In addition, the film's photography uses a lot of slow traverse, combined with fixed shots of front and back shots inside and outside. It is very suitable for the life atmosphere of "dinner". Reflects the peace of the surface of the party. Coupled with the warm colors of the whole article that are almost retro. Hide everyone's hypocritical heart without leaving a trace. It is also in line with the theme of "Friends Gathering to Reminisce about the Past". The most striking cool tone of the whole film is the lunar eclipse, and the dark side of the lunar eclipse also serves as a metaphor for the relationship between the characters throughout the film. This is in stark contrast to the laughter and laughter in the house.

The male and female protagonists of the film , mr. and Mrs. Rocco. Eva is the initiator of the game, and she calculates that she is the safest. Because the lover is in the middle of the meal. She verbally taught her daughter not to learn badly, but she stole behind her husband's brother's back. And it is his own daughter who sees through her, which is ironic. She is suspicious, and she opens the curtain on this temptation of human nature with curiosity and selfish desires, only to be hurt by the truth; and Rocco, the opponent of the game, is calm, wise, and has a high emotional intelligence. Even the details of his wife's new earrings are observed in detail, which shows that he already knew that Eva was cheating and would look for a psychiatrist. He is well aware of the survival rules of the marriage relationship, and from another point of view, he guesses whether Rocco has already seen through everything, so he never hides his secrets in his mobile phone, which is unknown.

It is worth mentioning that the editing at the end of the film forms a set of parallel time and space with the opening scene, and the beginning and end echo. If there had been no "mobile games" at the party, if each other had lived in a relationship of lies, would their respective lives have been better than the devastation after the truth was revealed? This is probably the thinking that the director wants to throw to the audience.

Life is a gorgeous robe full of lice. At the beginning, Zhang Ailing's insight into human nature was so thorough and so naked. We in the world are powerless to refute it. When one day, it is discovered that people are left with only lies to maintain the relationship. What you think is just what you think... Should we tear off our disguises and admit each other's hypocrisy and timidity? Or do you continue to escape as always and continue to live in your established "ideal" world?