The Comfort of Strangers
There's something about Venice that invites freaky behavior I suppose. Maybe it's the proximity to the water. Like New Orleans. Barbet Schroeder's The Comfort of Strangers makes excellent use of Venice's unique atmosphere and throws a little Walken into the mix. The story follows a young couple on holiday there. They get lost, encounter a wealthy man about town (Walken), and end up palling around with him a bit. He's alternately nice (letting them stay in his house) and cruel (punching poor Rupert Everett in the stomach), and ultimately things turn tragic. I won't pretend that the film makes a lick of sense, but it sure is fun to watch.
Rating
3.5 out of 5 Stars
- Director: Paul Schrader
- Producer: Angelo Rizzoli Jr.
- Screenwriter: Harold Pinter
- Stars: Christopher Walken, Rupert Everett, Natasha Richardson, Helen Mirren
- MPAA Rating: R
- Year of Release: 1990
- Released on Video: 09/01/2001
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