In New York, Detective Emily Eden (Melanie Griffith) is a tough detective and daughter of a former cop. When her partner Nick (Jamey Sheridan) is stabbed during an arrest of two drug dealers, Emily is assigned to a case of missing person, Yaakov Klausman, in a Hasidic community. However she discovers that Yaakov, who worked cutting diamonds, was murdered. Emily concludes that Yaakov knew the killer and asks the rebbe (Lee Richardson) permission to work undercover in the community. The rebbe brings Emily to his home and his stepdaughter Leah (Mia Sara) and his stepson Ariel (Eric Thal) help her to know people in the community and understand their habits and rules. Emily works in a department store with Leah, Ariel and Yaakov's fiancée Mara (Tracy Pollan), who was former drug addicted embraced by Yaakov and the rebbe, and her partner Levine (John Pankow) gives support to her. Meanwhile Emily falls in unrequited love with Ariel. When the gangsters Tony Baldessari (James Gandolfini) and Chris Baldessari (Chris Collins) threaten the group to sell protection to them, Emily believes she has resolved the case. But soon she has a discussion with Ariel and she concludes that the killer is another person from the community.
"A Stranger Among Us" is an underrated movie that entwined crime, drama and romance. The story is well constructed, disclosing a totally different society in the Twentieth Century in New York City. Most of the bad reviews of the critics are based on the similarities of this movie with 1985 "Witness", but anyway "A Stranger Among Us" is an engaging film. The first time I saw this movie in the 90's, I did not understand how and independent woman like Emily Eden could fall in love with Ariel, but this time I have understood her need of fraternal love. This movie is basically the debut of James Gandolfini. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Uma Estranha Entre Nós" ("A Stranger Among Us")
