The Business of Strangers

The talent and intelligence of this year’s Peter J. Owens Award recipient Stockard Channing dominates this tale of the subtle rituals and power games of the corporate world. Panicked that she may soon be fired, successful businesswoman Julie Styron (Channing) takes it out on a young assistant Paula (Julia Stiles). Later that evening, with both stuck in a hotel bar between layovers, the two women reunite and warily get to know one another. They drink, they lie and they flirt, gradually revealing more about themselves and the sacrifices they have made to succeed. The presence of a sleazy corporate headhunter, however, raises the stakes, and their night turns into a devious—and suddenly dangerous—game of psychological cat-and-mouse. Debut director Patrick Stettner stylishly juxtaposes the sterility of the corporate landscape—well-pressed power suits, airport hotels, no-atmosphere bars—against the all-too-human aggressions and deceptions of his characters. The film, however, belongs to both Channing and Stiles: Their brilliant interplay and the depth of their portrayals give us a glimpse into an emotional terrain that most films ignore, a place where the business of strangers revolves around power, not just of men over women, but of two unwavering women pitted against one another. –SFIFF