Reviews

I actually went to my local "art house" movie theater to see "Napoleon Dynamite." I walked out of that movie after the first 10 minutes and walked into the movie playing in the room next to it, which happened to be "Intimate Strangers." I had no idea what this movie was about - in fact, had never heard of it but anything had to be better than "Napoleon Dynamite." What a pleasant surprise. Even though I missed the very beginning of the film, I figured out that Anna had a reversal problem and was visiting the wrong professional.

This movie explores a relationship of the mind, only hinting at the sexual. How refreshing!

This movie was entrancing. I fell in love with all of the characters. Who could not fall in love with Anna? How many times has a stranger walked into your life and you've found yourself captivated? Once - maybe twice? Perhaps I can ask that question since I met my husband due to circumstances that allowed our paths to cross (and any change in the smallest decision would have meant we would never have met) and within three days, we were planning a wedding. That was 20 years ago.

So no wonder I love this movie!

Beautifully filmed, great cast. Afraid that if the viewer does not have some knowledge of The Illiad and The Odyssey as well as The Aeneid, the movie's story line might be confusing. One small example: Unless the viewer knows that Achilles was dipped in the river Styx at his birth by his mother (the sea nymph Thetis) to make him immortal - an act that left his heel (the spot where she held onto him to dip him in to the water) vulnerable, the viewer might not understand why this fearless warrior can pull arrows out of his chest, yet keel over with an arrow shot through his foot.

And just keeping up with the names might be confusing to some if not used to them.

Then again, if the viewer DOES have knowledge of The Illiad and The Odyssey as well as The Aeneid, he/she will be very confused about the condensation of those epics into this 2 1/2 hour movie. Characters die in the movie who don't die in the literature. At any rate, enjoy the movie for what it is - and remember that it is loosely based on The Illiad!