The Business of Strangers (2001)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Patrick Stettner

Writer:

Patrick Stettner (writer)

Release Date:

3 May 2002 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Two businesswomen bond and reveal their inner natures while getting carried away on a revenge attack against an accused rapist.

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Airport | Hotel | Businesswoman | Shower

Awards:

4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Stockard Channing	...	Julie Styron
Julia Stiles	...	Paula Murphy
Fred Weller	...	Nick Harris (as Frederick Weller)
Mary Testa	...	Receptionist
Jack Hallett	...	Mr. Fostwick
Marcus Giamatti	...	Robert
Buddy Fitzpatrick	...	Waiter
Salem Ludwig	...	Man at Pool
Shelagh Ratner	...	Airport Announcer

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DuArt)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Finland:K-11 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | New Zealand:R16 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

JFK International Airport, Jamaica, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Headquarters

Goofs:

Continuity: When the three are in the hotel room together, it is obviously dark outside and the time is even stated at being "midnight". However, when the television is turned on, the news channel is running live stock quotes (something that would only happen during the day) and the time on the television reads "1:30PM"

Quotes:

Julie: Nobody ends up being what they really want - it's part of life. It's called growing up.

Movie Connections:

Features "The Weather Channel Evening Edition" (2001)

Girls just 'wanna' have fun!

What a pleasure to watch Stockard Channing in this film! The range of emotions she undergoes playing Julie, an over-the-hill, frustrated and angry woman, who perhaps has been overlooked by her employers, like so many other women with a lot of qualifications, too many times. She is totally vulnerable. She's afraid of losing her job, which she has worked probably so hard to obtain and keep. She goes from one extreme to another in a range that is very hard to imagine another could convey as eloquently as Ms. Channing.

She meets her match when Paula, her new assistant, gets into the picture. Paula is an enigmatic character who we don't know where she's coming from, yet, she exerts an incredible amount of power over her newly acquired boss. That's when the fun and games begin. Julia Stiles projects a mystery about who this assistant is, obviously a product of privilege and wealth in sharp contrast with Stockard Channing character, who we get to know, comes from very humble origin and whose ascent into the position she is now is the product of hard work. Her ambition is natural because her Julie has had to struggle and fight for whatever she has gotten from life, including her present executive position.

It's like a good tennis match watching these two actresses go at it, and at each other throughout the film, but it is Miss Channing who outshines and makes this feature so much fun to watch. The script and direction from Patrick Stettner are just right, but he is well served by his cast.