a charming stranger is more (and less?) than he seems in this likewise charming short

You may remember Reece Dinsdale as John Thaw's son in Home to Roost, and for being just ubiquitous in the late 80s and early 90s. He and then-little-known Caroline Catz now of The Bill, The Vice and Doc Martin star as a couple who strike up an conversation in an American-style diner in London. I recall it being black-and-white with occasional red, similar to Schindler's List or Sin City, but less, well, heart-wrenching or violent.

The film riffs initially on taking chances and trusting strangers maybe more than your friends, but then takes two rather sharp twists, at least one of which is rather disturbing.

Mac really isn't all that he seems.

It's hard to review this without spoiling the main twist, so I'll stick to some choice memories: "You ain't no n*gger to be calling no n*gger a n*gger" as the faux-American (uncredited on IMDb, so I can't reference him, sorry!) black man who wants to be a hard guy retorts indignantly to super-slimy nasty guy Harley, played effortlessly by Jesse Birdsall (again ubiquitous in 90s British television).

The origin of China's name.

Mac and China circling each other in her flat, one flapping, the other imitating.

It's worth a watch if you can get hold of it (and if you can, let me know - I only saw it once, late at night on TV and it stayed with me!).

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