Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15217 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-02-09
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 237 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Perfect Strangers, Stephen Poliakoff's TV drama, depicts an upper-class English family where distrust, dysfunction and despair are guests at the party. "As you know, in all families, things happen", says the cool Lindsay Duncan. That's the premise: things happen, some of them nasty. The family, once "mini-Rothchilds" and still "drowning in money", are gathered together in an opulent hotel for a grand reunion; the only thing wrong with the idea is that many of them are perfect strangers and the event begins to look more like a conference than an event with heart. Into the blend of well-heeled guests comes the Hillingdon contingent led by Raymond (Michael Gambon), the black ram of the family. His son, Daniel, is a surveyor and true to his profession sets about assessing the fault lines running through the family. Underlying it all is a sense of unease so that even pleasantries come across as deeply unpleasant. Raymond warns us that: "Everybody always lies".

Drama arises from the emergence of truth and buried bits of the past, as old photographs are screened to family members provoking curiosity about what lies behind the images. Scratch a surface and everywhere there's pain and mystery. Filmed in lavish London settings where everything is clean and sleek, Perfect Strangers makes for slick visual entertainment. Although the dialogue is stilted and at times surreal, the music by Adrian Johnston cannot be faulted. --Joan Byrne

DVD Description
Winner of Best Actor Award for Michael Gambon at the BAFTAs, 2002. Written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff. Starring Michael Gambon, Lindsay Duncan, Matthew Macfadyen, Claire Skinner and Toby Stephens, with Timothy Spall.

When Daniel attends an extraordinary reunion with his parents, he discovers a world he hardly knew existed. Seduced by the glamour of this new world, Daniel adopts the role of go-between for his glamorous Aunt Alice and his dazzling cousins Rebecca (Claire Skinner) and Charles (Toby Stephens). But even the most honourable of intentions have the potential to go disastrously wrong …

Special Features

• Commentary with Stephen Poliakoff, John Chapman (Producer) and Adrian Johnston (Composer)
  
• Interviews with Stephen Poliakoff and cast
  
• Photo Montage

DVD Technical Information:

• Subtitles: English SDH
  
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  
• Region Code: 2, 4
  
• PAL
  
• Audio: Stereo
  
• Disc Format: DVD-9/DVD-5 (2 discs)
  
• Running Time: 237 mins approx.

Customer Reviews

Picturing the past
This is one of the most interesting and emotionally charged dramas I've ever seen. Stephen Poliakoff proves to be an extremely talented writer and director.
"Perfect Strangers" focuses around a family reunion where the protagonist, Daniel, meets relations he never knew existed. During this event he becomes infatuated with one of his cousins, Rebecca, and uncovers an intriguing family history.
The tales which are revealed to Daniel are what makes this piece so memorable. This story deals with loss, discovery and understanding. The piece also has the interesting concept of using pictures to reveal the past. Questions are raised about photos the characters see, such as when, where and why they were taken. More importantly, can you look deeper into a photo to discover it's true meaning and the tale behind it? "Perfect Strangers" makes you want to learn more about your own family and analyse your photo collection!
"Perfect Strangers" successfully conveys the mixture of personalities that you can find within one family. The cast are outstanding. Matthew Macfadyen is captivating as the gentle Daniel and Michael Gambon's performance as his father is wonderful. The pair work well together and you really get a sense of the father/son relationship. Michael Gambon's dinner speech scene is particularly effective, as it emphasises how you can feel love and embarassment towards a relation simultaneously.
This story has a satisfying conclusion too. You don't feel that there is anything unresolved at the end and all the characters appear stronger by the experiences they have had.
"Perfect Strangers" is a truly amazing piece which shouldn't be missed. Perhaps what makes it so powerful is the idea that so many emotions and tales can be captured with the click of a camera. Have you captured yours yet?

A moving and heart-warming tale of discovery.
Anything starring Sir Michael Gambon and Timothy Spall is bound to be of a high quality, and Poliakoff's moving and heart-warming tale of discovery is certainly no exception. A beautifully complex story that begins with an invitation to a family reunion and blossoms into revelation and remembrance of a life passed never fails to keep the viewer transfixed. When Daniel is introduced to his extended family for the first time, he is unsure of what to expect. A gift of a photograph showing Daniel as a young boy in fancy dress encourages him to investigate further. As more and more stones are turned, Daniel discovers things about his family that he could not possibly have imagined. The main plot revolves around his new-found cousins, Charles and Rebecca, who immediately adopt Daniel as a long lost brother. When Daniel discovers that a tragic error has caused the omission of a third cousin's name, Charles and Becca's brother, long supressed emotions surface, and un-healed wounds are re-opened. A rift between family matriarch Alice and the three siblings comes to light, and Daniel is drawn in to the web as he acts as go-between and arbitrator. Completely believable and beautifully rounded characters are protrayed by some of the most convincing acting I have seen in years, and this, along with Poliakoff's stunning knack for absorbing the viewer fully makes for an enthralling drama that should not be missed. Absolutely first class.

A moving but never sentimental story
If we ever had any doubts, Perfect Strangers confirms that Poliakoff is the best writer for TV in the UK (and the world?). Also worthy of special praise is the score composer, Adrian Johnston. The music is such an integral aspect, forming a thread which runs through the whole story. His haunting themes offer a real insight into the feelings of the characters and highlight echoes of the past.

For me, the greatest achievement of the piece is that it is deeply moving without ever becoming sentimental. This is primarily because of the performances. I have never seen such a large and talented group of actors in one program. The central performances of Matthew Macfadyen, Michael Gambon, Lindsay Duncan and Claire Skinner are rich with emotion and conviction. But it is the fact that all the actors surrounding them are so universally excellent which truly marks Perfect Strangers out.

Having never had more than a passing interest in my genealogy, this story has really tempted me to delve deeper into my family. Themes of connection to relatives both living and dead, permeate the piece. The feelings of being on the outside of a group and of inclusion and exclusion are ones we can all empathise with.

What transforms Perfect Strangers from a good drama to a brilliant one, are the stories. Structured around the amazing photographs and delivered beautifully, the tales of Michael, the sisters and Richard are thoroughly compelling. And the photos of Raymond’s father and of Daniel as a boy are spellbinding.

What I have heard of the commentary so far isn’t fantastically illuminating, but fairly interesting for a dedicated fan. Altogether, a tender, moving and beautiful piece of television.