"Intimate Strangers" is a beautifully developed and suspenseful drama that contains elements of film noir, dark humor, and romance.

The troubled Anna has a therapy appointment, but she walks in the wrong room. She tells her problems to a tax consultant named William because she mistakenly thinks he’s a therapist. William is strongly attracted to her, so he goes on with the charade. He becomes a kind of psychological voyeur, and lives only for his meetings with Anna. As Anna reveals more and more about herself, William finds himself stuck deeper into her web of seduction. This irritates and agitates his ex girlfriend, Jeanne even though they are no longer a couple.

Anna continues seeing William long after she learns he’s a fake. She reveals that her impotent husband wants her to find another sex partner. Anna desires William or at least she wants him to think she does. But he is so passive and repressed that we’re not sure whether anything will happen. Also, there is some question as to whether Anna is really an innocent victim or a manipulative user.

"Intimate Strangers" was imaginatively directed by the gifted French film maker, Patrice Leconte. He masterfully builds up sexual tension, but he often frustrates our expectations or throws cold water in our laps. The only recent movie that accomplished the same thing was "Eyes Wide Shut."

The mood shifts in the film are ideally mirrored and accentuated by the Phillip Glass-like compositions of Pascal Esteve. His compositions reflect the shifts in mood from melancholy to a foreboding sense of menace. The acting is on par with the excellent direction and music, and the actresses in the film are particularly impressive.

Sandrine Bonnaire gives a deeply nuanced lead performance as Anna. Bonnaire was unforgettable as a hopeless street girl in Agnes Varda’s "Vagabond," and she was also a great femme fatale in "Monsieur Hire," which was also directed by Leconte.

Anne Brochet also shines in a fine supporting role as Jeanne, William’s supportive ex-girlfriend and confidant. Jeanne has a boneheaded body building boyfriend, but she still has feelings for William. Some audience members may hope that William will choose her over Anna.

Jeanne serves the same function that Barbara Bel Geddes’s character did in "Vertigo." She is the safe, familiar, potential romantic interest that acts as a foil to the mysterious and potentially dangerous Anna. (Kim Novak was her counterpart in "Vertigo").

After the great buildup, the conclusion of "Intimate Strangers" left me slightly disappointed. But the somewhat conventional ending did not overly detract from an otherwise superb film.