Video Shelf
* New this week: Patrick Stettner’s crackling, unpredictable “The Business of Strangers” teams Stockard Channing, a commanding presence in all media, and Julia Stiles, one of the most fearless and talented young actresses in Hollywood today. The film is a witty, razor-sharp study of character informed by Stettner’s observations while working as an office temp. A series of events brings the two women together as they wait for their flights in an airport bar. It’s at this point that it is possible to appreciate just how adroitly Stettner has brought very different women face to face. The writer-director displays a sure sense of structure that is at once dramatic and cinematic, and reveals layer after layer of character. Kevin Thomas
Top 5 VHS rentals:
1. John Q.
2. Shallow Hal
3. The Time Machine
4. The Royal Tenenbaums
5. Crossroads
Top 5 DVD rentals:
1. John Q.
2. The Time Machine
3. The Royal Tenenbaums
4. Shallow Hal
5. Crossroads
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