An absorbing, highly charged, teenage romance by writer-director John Sayles. The emotional story of star-crossed young lovers stumbles over occasional holes in the plot, yet the material is consistently compelling.
Trenton High School, New Jersey circa 1967 is the setting. Upper-middle-class Jewish princess Jill Rosen (Rosanna Arquette) and brilliantined Italian ruffian Albert “Sheik” Capadilupo (Vincent Spano) comprise the mismatched young couple.
She lies in her bedroom daydreaming to Dusty Springfield’s You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me and he sweeps into the cafeteria to Bruce Springsteen’s It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City. Strangers in the Night unites them.
After graduation (her) and a bungled greaser robbery (him), she heads out to college to study theatre (and the counterculture) and he takes up lip-synching to Sinatra records at a Miami nightclub (where he is also washing dishes).
Their reunion is bittersweet, brutal and defiantly hopeful.
Above all, the film works as a dazzling showcase for some hip performances by talented newcomers. Arquette displays much realism as the bright Jewish physician’s daughter who is courted by the brash working-class youth, played by Spano.
Matthew Modine makes his film debut and there’s an early appearance by Robert Downey Jr.
Jill Rosen
Rosanna Arquette Albert “Sheik” Capadilupo
Vincent Spano Mrs Rosen
Joanna Merlin Dr Rosen
Jack Davidson Mr Capadilupo
Nick Ferrari Mrs Capadilupo
Dolores Messina Miss Vernon
Leora Dana Mr Ripeppi
William Joseph Raymond Mr McManus
Sam McMurray Jody
Liane Curtis Beth
Claudia Sherman Debra
Marta Kober Stewart
Robert Downey Jr Steve
Matthew Modine
Director
John Sayles
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She lies in her bedroom daydreaming to Dusty Springfield’s You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me and he sweeps into the cafeteria to Bruce Springsteen’s It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City. Strangers in the Night unites them.
