The Business of Strangers

REVIEW

An outstanding, yet very dark, two woman drama starring Stockard Channing (Six Degrees of Separation) and Julia Stiles ("O") with a fair measure of lesbian sexual tension. Julie (Channing) is on the road selling the services of her company (we never learn what the company does). Paula (Stiles) is the A.V. person for the presentation and is so late she misses the dog and pony show. Julie fires Paula on the spot, her heartlessness and damaged soul is obvious. Julie is under the misapprehension that she is about to be fired when she learns that her boss is flying out to meet her. Julie has a sleazy headhunter, Nick (Frederick Weller in a major departure from his cute boy role in Stonewall) fly out to describe what's on the job market. Julie learns of her promotion instead of dismissal, and to celebrate she hits the hotel lounge, where surprise of all surprises she meets Paula first, and then Nick. Paula is a short-story writer and an artist of sorts. She reveals to Julie that Nick raped her girfriend in college and they decide a course of revenge.

Female empowerment, revenge, repressed lesbianism, hatred of men - it's all here and on display in this moody piece that appears to have been a stage drama before its current incarnation as a film. Stockard Channing and Julia Stiles turn in strong emotional performances - every muscle move in Channing's face means something in her amazingly controlled, fiery performance. A watchable film that deals with major societal issues is always welcome in these circles. Although there is no actual sex in The Business of Strangers, one would have to be blind to miss the woman-to-woman looks.