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
