A rich character study fueled by two superb performances, The Business of Strangers turns feminism on its side with a spontaneous battle of wills. Traveling executive Julie (Stockard Channing) has just received a lofty promotion, but an airport delay leaves only her hard-edged new assistant Paula (Julia Stiles) to celebrate with. When a corporate recruiter (Frederick Weller) becomes the unwitting victim of their drunken power play, these women forge a competitive bond that veers toward volatile melodrama. But first-time director Patrick Stettner is more interested in how these strong but vulnerable women assess each other, revealing secrets, lies, and emotional wounds as they find an outlet for pent-up aggressions. Channing and Stiles are perfectly matched as savvy combatants, and while the film's ambiguity may puzzle some viewers, it's just as likely to provoke fascinating speculation about these memorable characters and their unsettling willingness to engage in a psychological duel. --Jeff Shannon
(25 votes)
2.
Stockard Channing is nuanced as Julie, a simmering corporate drone who has sacrificed family life for power and control. At an out-of-town business presentation, her assistant Paula (Julia Stiles) arrives forty-five minutes late. In a fit of rage, Julie fires her on the spot. That afternoon, the CEO of Julie's company informs her that she's been promoted; she'll be taking his position. In the mood to celebrate, Julie heads to the hotel bar where, to her surprise, she encounters Paula. Julie wants to make amends. Paula is cool but willing. The two hit it off and spend the rest of the evening palling around the hotel. When Julie's headhunter Nick (Frederick Weller) shows up unexpectedly, things get interesting. Paula tells Julie that he raped her friend in Boston and so the two plot revenge to teach him a lesson. The rest is a study in debauchery that leaves Julie unsure of herself. Stiles and Channing play smoothly off each other, slowly tightening the screws to win control. The outward coolness of the characters is reflected in the even tracking shots, but the tension between them is reflected in the mise-en-scene, becoming more cramped and claustrophobic as the picture unfolds.
(25 votes)
3.
Oscar® nominee Stockard Channing (The West Wing) "gives the finest performance of her career," and Julia Stiles (Save the Last Dance)" is arrestingly and provocatively ambiguous" (The San Francisco Examiner) in a film critics are calling "riveting" (The Detroit News), "spring taut" (Chicago Tribune) and a "pleasure to watch" (The Washington Post)!
Two women on different rungs of the same corporate ladder meet on a business trip and swap stories over drinks. And after Paula (Stiles) intimates to Julie (Channing) that she'd been accosted by a mutual acquaintance, Nick (Frederick Weller), she enlists Julie's help in a revenge scheme against him. But as their plotting turns from cruel to criminal, Julie begins to wonder if she knows the whole story behind Paula's malice… or if Nick is even her true target.
(25 votes)
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