The Stranger in Us (2010)

In this verité-style drama, Anthony, a newcomer to San Francisco, attempts to come to terms with his abusive ex-lover when he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a street hustler.

Director:

Scott Boswell

Writer:

Scott Boswell

Stars:

Raphael Barker, Adam David, Scott Cox

Cast

Credited cast:
Raphael Barker	...	Anthony
Adam David	...	Gavin (as Adam Perez)
Scott Cox	...	Stephen
Jeffrey Weissman	...	Jack / Anthony's Boss
Jesse Schoem	...	Drug Dealer
Kelly Sanchez	...	Jeremy
Marc Scruggs	...	Terry
Alex Rodriguez	...	Chad
Brian Levy	...	Michael
Luis Quiroz	...	Angel
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charlie Berlanga	...	Bartender
Max Berwald	...	Movie Patron I
Guy Blelloch	...	Peter / Harrassing Kid
Lee Brady	...	Grandma (voice)
Matthew Bridges	...	Kevin

Storyline

In this verité-style drama, Anthony, a newcomer to San Francisco, attempts to come to terms with his abusive ex-lover when he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a street hustler.

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Plot Keywords:

hustler | san francisco california | abusive boyfriend | california | gay lead character | 

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Taglines:

One true connection.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 June 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Burn Like Fire

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paperback Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1 / (high definition)

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the beginning of the movie Gavin tells Anthony that he lives in Chico but when Anthony goes to Gavin's house the bus that passes is a San Mateo County bus. Chico is about 2.5 hours from San Mateo.

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Soundtracks

"Opposite Opposite Man"
Written by Margrit Eichler
Performed by True Margrit

User Reviews

Three men's lives are intertwined as they search for the truth of love and freedom.

After I watched this, I immediately wanted to watch it all over again. It's not something that happens every time I watch a movie of course...just the ones that I really enjoyed or spoke to me in some way. The Stranger in Us, was obviously, one of those films. It's a slightly dark film all around and definitely shows the harder side of being in a relationship (Anthony) and finding freedom and the chance to be yourself (Gavin).

One of the things that I kept thinking about The Stranger in Us is that Adam Perez, who played Gavin, is an amazing actor. I really enjoyed the character of Gavin...and he's definitely the "young adult" point of view as he's 17 through most of it. I just think Perez did an amazing job showing viewers the type of person that Gavin is and who he wishes he could be. He deals with a lot but he also has a very optimistic look on life. He does things that he shouldn't, but he also helps Anthony stay on the right side of life in other ways by not doing drugs, and not going back to Stephen. You look at the type of things Gavin does to survive on his own and you might think he has no respect for himself, but it's not as simple as that. You really get to see the various sides of his life.

The Stranger in Us is set up, editing wise, in an interesting fashion. It took me awhile to follow actually as it has three different times being mixed together. I suppose it's hard to explain, but it gets easier as the film goes on. You just have to keep watching, figure out what is happening and when, and you're good.

I'm not sure The Stranger in Us has a rating, but I suppose with everything included...I would say it's rated R as it can be a bit graphic in parts. You definitely should have a more mature audience viewing this.

I was sad when the ending came, but I also found it to be realistic. Not everything is the way you might wish it to be, and it's definitely not a "happily ever after" end, but again, it seems more real because of this. You can still see the silver lining so to speak. It definitely left me curious about the characters' futures though and I think that's a sign of a pretty good film.