This film reminded me of The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, because both protagonists are family men in the suburbs with no real complaints, but they still feel unhappy. Kirk Douglas plays the lead in Strangers When We Meet, and although he's a successful architect with a loving wife and two sons, he's restless, or something. I really couldn't understand why he came on so strongly and suddenly to Kim Novak. Yes, she's beautiful and has an incredible figure, but was there any other reason besides physical attraction for him to stray? Kim is also a family woman, and although she resists his advances at first, she gives in pretty easily to what is obviously an invitation to an affair.
Barbara Rush, Kirk Douglas's wife, is the shining star in the film. She gives so much, and stuffs her feelings to save her family, so when she finally explodes, it's cathartic for the audience as well. If I didn't think the viewers were supposed to sympathize with her character, I wouldn't have liked the movie at all, since the romance between the two leads is very difficult to root for. Walter Matthau costars as a nosy neighbor, and although you'll at first get a chuckle out of him because his character is named Felix, you'll soon see he's not the comic relief. He's cold, cunning, and practically frightening-but his character is very necessary to the plot!
If watching two beautiful people fall in lust is enough entertainment for you, you'll probably really like Strangers When We Meet. For me, the supporting characters made it worthwhile, but it isn't really a movie I'll want to watch again.
Barbara Rush, Kirk Douglas's wife, is the shining star in the film. She gives so much, and stuffs her feelings to save her family, so when she finally explodes, it's cathartic for the audience as well. If I didn't think the viewers were supposed to sympathize with her character, I wouldn't have liked the movie at all, since the romance between the two leads is very difficult to root for. Walter Matthau costars as a nosy neighbor, and although you'll at first get a chuckle out of him because his character is named Felix, you'll soon see he's not the comic relief. He's cold, cunning, and practically frightening-but his character is very necessary to the plot!
If watching two beautiful people fall in lust is enough entertainment for you, you'll probably really like Strangers When We Meet. For me, the supporting characters made it worthwhile, but it isn't really a movie I'll want to watch again.