Perfect Strangers (1984)

Fantastic!

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Greatly enjoyed this low budget film starring Anne Carlisle, (Sally) and Brad Rifin, (Johnny) and a little boy who becomes the real star of the show. This picture opens up with two men going down an alley in New York City and one of them gets knifed to death along with his throat cut from left to right. This is a mob rub out, however, there is an eye witness and the killer sees him face to face. The killer tells his mob bosses about the witness to his crime and that he will search the streets around the area of the killing. Brad Rijin, (Johnny) plays a mobster who meets up with a young gal named Sally, (Anne Carlisle) and the two of them pretty soon start making love, however, Johnny is only using Sally in order to gain her confidence and at the same time kill the witness to his crime. Entertaining film with great scenes of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Twin Towers in the background, rather sad. Enjoy.

Writer/Director Larry Cohen offers an interesting thriller with 'Perfect Strangers,' which would have been more logical had it not been premised around such a stupid plot. That is, a young mafioso who's stabbing of another man is witnessed by a two year-old from behind a fence. At first, certain that the boy is too young to act as a reasonable witness for the cops (and I doubt any court would let a kid that young testify anyways...and doing so would give a defense attorney good grounds for appeal), but later doubts the boy's ability to identify him, and gets nervous. What is even dumber is, that his crime associates, want to kill the kid because they're worried he may be a viable key witness. In they end, they turned out to be dumber than the guy who actually committed the crime.To get close to the kid, I suppose as a way of testing what the kid knows and can tell, he hooks up with the boy's mother who is also a stupid character. Although it may be harsh to criticize her for getting cozy so quickly with some guy she met on the street, she always ignores many of the warning signs that this is the guy that stabbed the man just behind their backyard fence. She is aware that a crime occurred, and rushed her boy inside when she saw that he was standing in the backyard by the fence staring at the dead man. Inconsistent in attitude, this sense of emergency never seems to grip her much or make her changes her ways throughout the rest of the film. And the only one who might actually be able to get her to wake up and realize what is going on (too late) is her estranged husband who is suspicious of the new beau and warns her about him for the sake of her and the kid.The story was at least entertaining enough, offering at least some mystery where the plot is based along too many logical flaws--namely, the stupidity of the main characters. But it might nonetheless be worth checking out. Unfortunately, Cohen doesn't offer some of the good-natured quick wit or brief, black comedy he does in his later films. But what the heck, it's a low-budget production. Look for Ann Manguson (of 'Making Mr. Right') in a brief role as the main woman's feminist sidekick, Malda.

A hit-man 's crime took place under a toddler's eyes.The boy cannot speak yet ,but as his mother unwisely says,he's very clever,very observant and when he starts speaking,he will have a lot to tell us about.So the murderer seduces the mother in order to get rid of the witness.The only interesting scenes are the ones which involve the man and the child.And even with them,the movie never really takes off.The writers drag things out with their photographs trick which exhausts any suspense.The adults are not very convincing,and Johnny's behavior does not make any sense.The mother is a bubblehead -how long it takes her to find out what lies beneath!-,and the actress does not even succeed in making us believe she loves her son dearly.

This low-budget crime drama deserves a second look (unfortunately it is currently unavailable in video). It is a good example of modern film noir, with its gritty realism, excellent New York location photography, and moody score.The story involves, Johnny, a hitman (played by Brad Rijn), whose contract hit on a gangland rival is witnessed by a three year old boy, playing in his backyard. Johnny's initial motivation to "eliminate" the one witness to the crime (under orders of his mob boss) becomes conflicted by his growing romantic involvement with the boy's mother, Sally, (played by Anne Carlisle). Occasional semicomic relief is provided by the incomparable Ann Magnuson, in the role of a male-hating ultra-feminist and best friend of Sally.The story is by no means perfect and the ending somewhat disappointing. But its appeal lies in its offbeat look and quirky directing and acting. This is a film with definite cult potential.