“The Business of Strangers”
(USA 2001) ***
Directed by Patrick Stettner
“The Business of Strangers”, writer/director Patrick Stettner’s impressive debut feature, is an interesting taut drama that explores the dynamics of the clashing of two smart, highly different ladies. Different because Julie (Stockyard Channing) is a mature, rich and successful corporate climber, just promoted to C.E.O. while Paula (Julia Styles) is a struggling newbie at the start of a career. Yet there are similarities in that both are cunning and used to getting their way in life. Put these two together, stuck at an airport hotel and an engrossing film may be in the make.
It all begins when Julie wraps up a botched presentation as a result of her new assistant (Paula) arriving late with the materials. Julie fires Paula and leaves her standing on the sidewalk. But nevertheless, Julie gets a promotion to C.E.O. Julie runs into Paula at the airport hotel bar, and they become friends after a conciliatory drink. A power game ensues. Stuck in the middle of all this is the maybe not-so-innocent headhunter, Nick (Frederick Weller).
The film is based on Stettner’s short “Flux”, about a middle-aged woman who gains a new perspective on life after an encounter with a strange man. Developed at Sundance, Stettner expanded “Flux” to a full feature with Scott McGehee and David Siegel (“Suture” and “The Deep End”) as executive producers, who clearly leave their mark. “Business” has scenes that fade to white, plenty of these in “Suture” and the camera focuses more than once on the ice in the ladies’ glasses ringing memories of the ‘water’ images in “The Deep End”.
“The Business of Strangers” is updated with two female protagonists. This makes the sparring fairer. With Julie, single and with no boyfriend, the hint of same-sex attraction creates an ambiguous tension. But with the film concentrating on Julie at the start (Paula appears fleetingly in the first 15 minutes), the viewer is given a natural prejudice in Julie’s favour. Julie is hard, efficient, pretty and up the corporate ladder. Yet, when she fires Paula for showing up late, the viewer feels no remorse. Writer/director Stettner brings his experiences working as a temp in New York City to Nick and especially Paula’s dialogue. Her bitterness shows. Take these sample lines: Paula: “I bet you had to eat a lot of shit to get where you are.” Julie: “It was my choice. Everybody eats shit. It’s a question of degree.” Paula: “Or how much you can take.” If the dialogue is not bitingly funny, it is at least observant and provides the film with sustained interest. Stettner builds the conflict to a climax with Julie finally having to resort to blows to make a point. The subplot of the two collaborating against Nick comes across as derivative and manipulative and the supposedly ‘surprise’ revelation (of Julie’s big lie) at the end provides more of a chuckle than a twist in the plot.
Stockard Channing, looking like a slimmer Elizabeth Taylor makes the most of her role as the successful, strong-willed woman whose world is turned upside down one night. She had a similar role in “Six Degrees of Separation”, playing wife of art dealer Sutherland, whose suspicions are arisen with the sudden intrusion of the then upcoming Will Smith claiming to be the couple’s son’s best friend. Julia Styles (“State and Main”, and “Save the Last Dance”) unfortunately comes across as uniformly one dimensionally nasty, able to show only one side of a character. The scene when both come off the treadmill at the gym is indicative of this comment.
If “The Business of Strangers” works, it is largely due to Channing’s injection of authentic feeling into a somewhat predictable and mechanical enterprise. And at least Stettner’s script and direction is consistent and builds to an acceptable climax.
– Gilbert –
