Friends and Strangers

Kinda good, kinda bad.

I enjoyed 'Friends and Strangers' a bit at the beginning and a lot near the end, though the middle is lame - in my opinion, of course. The start holds intrigue and the whole chilled vibe is cool, though come the midway point it loses all steam. Thankfully, the concluding parts are its best.

It's the scenes at the villa(s) for the wedding that are the best, I genuinely enjoyed those moments. The rest is either forgettable or straight up uninteresting. It might've worked out better if they stuck with Emma Diaz's Alice, who seemed better in the acting department, rather than Fergus Wilson's Ray.

If you ever wondered what Rohmer would do if he were a young man living in Australia in the early 21st century here is probably your answer

Discombobulated vignettes with the only constant being the main male actor seen in different places with different people in middle-class drifter mode with a level of slackdom and aimlessless one can only gawp at ....

This is an arty film and skillful at that ... it is the first full-length feature film from the director it seems ... will want to see the follow-ups.

There's a lot to like in this offbeat, deadpan comedy that's part Rohmer and part Wes Anderson. Beautifully shot, and wonderful, notable performances by many of the actors, especially Emma Diaz. The character of Ray is at the center of the film, though, and the portrayal is too thin to carry it along. Clearly he's meant to be something of a cypher. But there's too little going on with the portrayal to merit the attention.

Long still shots of a scene waiting for the characters to enter it or exit it. Drivel conversations. Why do these producers make such crap? Don't waste your time with this gong show.

In Australia, heartbroken Alice starts dating Ray and they go on a camping trip. She's not enthused and rejects him. One month later, he continues to be snake bitten. He has a job with a wealthy home owner which meanders into a Kafkaesque journey.

It's an Australian indie. Some say it's a satire. I don't know if it is. It's punching down. Ray is a sad sack wet blanket. He's more frustrating than funny. I actually like the camping section. There seems to be real tension being built and then the movie just moves on. I really wanted to stay there and work out some drama. The movie starts following Ray and it's boring. Once he gets to the house, it starts becoming surreal and that's a little interesting. In the end, Ray is aimless and rather pathetic. The movie is not as funny as it wants to be.