Yet another proof of the talent of severely underrated director Bud Lee, "Perfect Strangers" demonstrates his seriousness about his craft, in an industry where "sex is all" has been the mantra now for decades. It's worth seeking out, as I've learned so often while watching upwards of 100 of his forgotten movies recently.
Its subtle power enhanced by the complete absence of music over the two hours of running time, story concerns Neil's infatuation with a beautiful woman he encounters on the elevator at his apartment house, with the elevator remaining a running motif throughout. Played by Dizzy Blonde, this central character is hardly the usual porn stud but rather a lonely guy the viewer can easily identify with, and the show is told strictly from his point-of-view. There's a busty blonde neighbor Jane played by the great Anita Cannibal, who's given to eavesdropping the old-fashioned way: placing a glass tumbler to the wall to listen in on neighbors' lovemaking.
Rayveness, early in her ongoing career, is stunning as the raven-haired object of Neil's desire, and the inevitable final reel coupling between them is presented as a fantasy rather than rom-com reality, leading to an open-ended happy-prospects conclusion for our hero.
Along the way Cannibal gets to bed down with her equally busty on-and-off lover Tye, while my favorite French import Liza Harper shines as a girl who gives our hero a tumble but is more comfortable in an outdoor threesome with ultra-sexy Angelica Sin and stud Rich Handsome. Extraneous sex scenes inject the usual suspects, including Colt Steele and Steve Hatcher, while Lee and other crew members have credited NonSex cameos.
Besides employing a wide variety of camera angles, Lee adds style where required, namely a fabulous landscape and sky shot to bookend the movie as Neil ponders his state of affairs. The absence of cheesy soundtrack score is a blessing and unusual for an Adam & Eve release let alone other labels' pretentious shows of the pre-Millennium era.
