"The Comfort of Strangers" is a beautiful film and has aged well in the twenty-five years since its production. The pace is a little slow by contemporary standards with leisurely transitions. Action choreography and special effects are slightly dated. However, it still feels like cinema. The acting is solid, particularly by Walken, whose character is complex.
The film is a bit difficult to classify. Various authors, including McKee, Snyder and Hicks have proposed taxonomies of film genres. Snyder's list of ten story types is probably the most easily accessible for novices. TCoS doesn't quite fit into any of his categories, although it has elements of Monster in the House, The Golden Fleece and Buddy Love, with a touch of Whydunit. This is the weakness in TCoS. The structure doesn't fit our expectations either at the broad level suggested by Snyder or at more detailed levels suggested by Joseph Campbell or by dramatica theory.
Walken plays a conflicted character who is supremely comfortable in his own skin, even as he relates amusing tales of a troubled childhood. The film has homoerotic and sadomasochistic undertones but they aren't explored sufficiently to allow the audience to understand how they relate to the story or motivate the characters. While Walken's character is complex and intriguing, his actions seem contrived rather than grounded in a clearly defined psychological makeup.
The climax is surprising and shocking, but doesn't feel as if it fits the logical progression of prior scenes. It needs more interaction between the two couples.
The film is like a ride through the country in an open convertible. The journey is pleasant and filled with interesting sights and experiences, but it doesn't really lead you to where you want to be.
The film is a bit difficult to classify. Various authors, including McKee, Snyder and Hicks have proposed taxonomies of film genres. Snyder's list of ten story types is probably the most easily accessible for novices. TCoS doesn't quite fit into any of his categories, although it has elements of Monster in the House, The Golden Fleece and Buddy Love, with a touch of Whydunit. This is the weakness in TCoS. The structure doesn't fit our expectations either at the broad level suggested by Snyder or at more detailed levels suggested by Joseph Campbell or by dramatica theory.
Walken plays a conflicted character who is supremely comfortable in his own skin, even as he relates amusing tales of a troubled childhood. The film has homoerotic and sadomasochistic undertones but they aren't explored sufficiently to allow the audience to understand how they relate to the story or motivate the characters. While Walken's character is complex and intriguing, his actions seem contrived rather than grounded in a clearly defined psychological makeup.
The climax is surprising and shocking, but doesn't feel as if it fits the logical progression of prior scenes. It needs more interaction between the two couples.
The film is like a ride through the country in an open convertible. The journey is pleasant and filled with interesting sights and experiences, but it doesn't really lead you to where you want to be.