Perfect Strangers

Six years ago, the creators of Perfect Strangers certainly did not count on the fact that the premise of their film would be translated into many languages. After the Italian original and the German remake, I went to the cinema to see the Czech-Slovak version, which has the unfortunate fate of being the umpteenth of the same theme. Perfect Strangers sticks more closely to the source material than the German version, yet that unpleasant chill at the end of the Italian film will probably remain undiminished. Conversational and intimate films rely largely on the performances of the actors, and in Perfect Strangers they handled their parts reasonably well – I would single out the Martin Hofmann-Petra Polnisova duo in particular. On the one hand, it is true that the umpteenth (and in many ways literal) variation on a theme is unnecessary, but on the other hand I don't regret going to the cinema. A weaker four stars! PS: I missed the short but all the more powerful scene with the old people on the balcony. (06/04/2022)

I saw the Italian original Perfect Strangers and the French remake Le Jeu and I'm pleased to say that I enjoyed the Czech version of this brilliant conversational dramedy almost as much as the original movie, even though it lacked the element of surprise. Although practically all the actors were good, I have to single out the performance of Martin Hofmann, who blew everyone away. (75%) (13/08/2022)

How else can I rate the enchanting Táňa, the charismatic Hofmann, and one of my favorite screenplays? Fine, I was a little worried and silently praying it wouldn't be a total bust, but that turned out to be unnecessary. The Czech version sticks to the original, and in my opinion it only made it better. Compared to adaptations from other countries, we are in the better half. Just to put in my two cents, I would have given a bit more focus to the food served, since it nicely shows the differences between the different countries, but that's just a small detail. (31/03/2022)

From that original idea Perfect Strangers an unexpected series of linguistic versions and cultural adaptations were created. So far, I can only compare the German and Czech-Slovak versions and our own affair Famous Strangers is such a classic Czech-style comedy, a mix of popular actors, unnecessary pushing of the envelope by setting the whole story on New Year's Eve, and unfortunately overall it is a very timid solution to all deadlock situations and gives us a very negative message about what we should and should not solve. Perhaps how we will be better off if we sweep everything under the rug. Even though we are in the comedy genre, the neighboring German version The Perfect Secret is a much more mature film in every way, it is better acted and moreover conveys a message about a much more mature society that can name reality, learn from it, and move on to the next days with a clean slate. We still have a lot to learn. (17/04/2022)

It doesn't happen often that I like a remake more than the original, and it didn't happen this time, either. I immediately liked Genovese's Perfetti sconosciuti, and I approached the Czech version with a certain skepticism. It didn't turn out so bad, largely because the creators tried to copy the original as closely as possible. I'm afraid that any invention on their part would only make me decrease the rating. What I said about the Italian original applies here, too. I consider such games to be the peak of stupidity, not only concerning the idiots who would go along with something like that but also concerning the unsuspecting callers. For example, during the conversation with the daughter, I felt like punching not just the dad but everyone who kept listening until the end. Martin Hofmann gave the most natural performance. I guess that makes him a good actor. / Lesson learned: People crave honesty until they get it. (26/02/2023)