Nearly all of us know someone who has used an online dating site like OkCupid, or who has joined a chat room or a message board in the hopes of finding love there. As the Internet has grown in popularity, so have the ways that people have been able to connect with each other. At first the idea of meeting someone online carried a form of stigma, implying that one wasn’t able to meet someone in real life. Yet it’s clear that finding true love isn’t easy, so why not turn to the Internet for a bit of guidance? When Strangers Click shows us that heartwarming side of the web. The HBO documentary, from Oscar-nominated director Robert Kenner (Food Inc.), shares the stories of five individuals who turned to the Internet for company and found a lot more than they bargained for.
For the most part, the stories are cheerful, positive, and romantic without being cloying. The filmmakers save the best for last with the story of Bara, a Swedish man who lost his business and became obsessed with the game Second Life, which gave him a second chance at the life he always had dreamed of, both on the web and in real life. There are engaging stories about cyber sex, finding out online lovers aren’t what they seemed, and discovering your soul mate without ever seeing more of their appearance than an avatar. All five protagonists are likeable characters who prove that these sites are frequented by far more normal people than freaks. Each story is interspersed with facts related to online dating, some easy to have guessed, some totally surprising. Either way, When Strangers Click is an eye-opening and enjoyable look at real-life love, free of the cliché that comes with your average scripted romantic narrative and full of heart.
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
The Q&A session with the filmmakers is less interesting than the people actually in the documentary, which is why an interview session with Bara conducted within Second Life is far more appealing. There is also a humorous deleted scene called "Cyber Cyrano,” which shows yet another side of online dating that I didn’t even know existed, and was curious to learn more about. Unfortunately, the scene is woefully short, but still intriguing.
"When Strangers Click" is on sale November 15, 2011 and is not rated. Documentary. Directed by Robert Kenner.
