A STRANGER AMONG US. Directed by Sidney Lumet; written by Robert J. Avrech; produced by Steve Golin, Sigurjon Sighvatsson and Howard Rosenman for Hollywood Pictures. Starring Melanie Griffith and Eric Thal.
More reviews by —
TITLE:
RATING:
Witness it ain't. This storyline is almost a mirror image of the 1985 Harrison Ford movie, but it isn't nearly as good.
Here Griffith plays the cop character (Emily) who is forced to enter an exotic society that exists in, but not of, modern America. The society here is the Hassidic Jewish community of Brooklyn, where she meets Ariel (Thal), a young scholar who is already a village elder.
Emily isn't hiding out for protection, like Ford was in Witness, but to solve a murder. Otherwise, the story points agree almost completely. There's an attraction between her and Ariel (supposedly) that can't be consummated. But nonetheless, she's enriched for her exposure to such a caring but disciplined lifestyle.
The idea is okay, but Stranger fails in the execution.
There's no chemistry between Ariel and Emily, for one thing. And without that mysterious but vital element, their scenes together, and a good half of the movie, don't make much sense.
Another problem is that we're asked to care about these two people before we're really given any reason to. Emily doesn't have a very fulfilling relationship with her father, for example, a fact which goes a long way toward explaining her alienation and personal, if not professional, malaise. But we don't find out about it until the movie's half over.
The murder mystery angle is mildly interesting, but not much of a puzzle. This weakness wouldn't have mattered if the romantic angle was working. Or vice versa. But as it is....
Stranger isn't a complete waste of time by any means. The scenes of Hassidic family and community life are attractively shot and interesting. I learned quite a lot about this sect which is probably unfamiliar to most Texans.
And Griffith's character is an appealing one. Fans of hers would certainly enjoy the picture more than anyone else. For the rest of you, I suggest renting Witness and saving yourself some money.
August 5, 1992