Call Me

Call Me

Call Me

Okay so I read some of these reviews and seriously I have no Idea what freakin movie they watched, because this one sucks. Again we have a woman too stupid to hang up on a weairdo, and also finds ultra creepy jellybean attractive. What woman would sip a drink from a complete stranger who looks like Klaus Kinski's twin brother? Plus there was over 6 million people living in New York City at the time of this movie and probability of Jellybean running into her in a park being accosted be a Jamaican Vagrant is highly unlikely. But here we go with just another weak AF script in a movie that ranks well below the B status and more likely in the Z ratings.

The reviews on this seem to be fairly low which are probably unfair if you know what this movie is and what it isn't. Because what it isn't is softcore * which judging by the poster would be an easy mistake to make, but then again these people should be looking for their kicks elsewhere. This is the story about a women who is getting dirty phone calls and then decides to meet the person making them, as she wrongly assumes its her boyfriend. When he doesn't show up she witnesses a murder and has to deal with the fallout, as money has gone missing. This is definitely a female centric movie, being from the perspective of the main character but also from the male characters. Although they are fairly one dimensional the narrative does well to string you along in terms of guessing as to the motivation of most of the men around the lead. Also there are some erotic elements to the movie however they are likely more pleasing to a female audience. Hence the low scores from disappointed guys. There isn't much to fault this movie, which comes across as a slightly higher budget Red Shoe Diaries episode, with some crime/murder thrown in. Although you do get Steve Buscemi in a typical sleazy type role he is known for. So you cant really slate the quality on show. If anything guys may be puzzled at some of the main characters decision making but this is female written. Add some 1980s saxophone playing for no reason and some night shots of the city and you have this movie. Watchable as long as you don't expect lots of sex scenes aimed at men.

This movie start out with Anna receiving a mysterious phone call that will eventually lead her into a world of intrigue, duplicity, and murder. This movie is very stylish and suspenseful. Patricia Charbonneau is a standout as the gutsy Anna.

My review was written in May 1988 after a Cannes Film Festival Market screening. "Call Me" is an unusual melodrama that boasts solid performances, but is too far-fetched to fly. Cult possibilities loom for his Gotham-lense Vestron release. Initial series of plot devices are the toughest to swallow; Anna (Patricia Charbonneau), a beautiful journalist for a Village Voice-type periodical receives an obscene phone call that turns her on. She mistakenly believes it's her boyfriend Ale and agrees to meet him at a bar she's just written about. At the bar a strange but alluring man (Steven McHattie) comes on to her, but all hell breaks loose when she witnesses he murder of a transvestite in the ladies' room by a corrupt cop involved in a drug case. The dirty phone calls continue and she now assumes (erroneously ) they're from McHattie. Actually McHattie is searching for her, since he was a principal in the drug deal. Topical subject of phone sex is the hook for this contrived thriller, with a bland acquaintance of Anna's (whom she eventually and improbably sleeps with) turning out to be the mystery caller. Climax where all the cast principals happen to show up at a warehouse for a violent confrontation rings false. Cementing the loose ends together is a strong performance by Chabonneau. The pic's sexy centerpiece is her maturbation scene following instructions from the caller, photographed tastefully as the camera circles around her loft several times. McHattie is suitably creepy, but ambiguous enough to generate sympathy as the lead heavy, with his hophead partner Switchblade (Steve Buscemi) turning in a scene-stealing job. Styled as a platinum blonde, Patti D'Arbainville adds warmth as Anna's best friend. Pic is shot with a very hard-edged, gritty look that avoids the glamor of recent romantic thrillers in favor of generating a mean city streets/film noir mood.

Being a great movie fan I give a chance to all movies, and when I became curious about CALL ME I didn't cared too much about it because of the pathetic score of 5,1 and only 9 reviews that might mean that a movie is terrible. Well, what a fool I have been! Last February I finally saw it and I liked it very much even more than I expected. Anna (Patricia Charbonneau) is a tipsy journalist that one night is called by an unknown person and she first assumes that it's her boyfriend, and just for this mistake she accepts to go to a bar for meeting with the caller but as she is about to meet him a young prostitute is murdered in the near bathroom and she unwittingly witnesses the scene. She returns home, and her boyfriend was waiting for her and have dinner. At the same time outside the bar the Caller is in cahoots with two crooks named Switchblade (Steve Buscemi) and Alex and nearly beat a guy that owed money to them. The next day goes to work and while her relationship with her boyfriends gradually deteriorates because he is a clueless eternal child she starts a relationship with Bill that has a voice similar to that of the caller and it works, only to leave him one night in his home full of aquariuses after she suspects that he wants to murder her. It's only a matter of time that she is soon pursued all over town by the thugs from before and Bill will do everything to prove to Anna that he is innocent up until there is the big showdown in a warehouse (something you expect in these sort of films) and the Caller will prove to be a nice guy and after the big finale (with Bill that on the verge of death manages to fall on Switchblade and making the both of them falling to their deaths) he'll help Anna to go away and recommends her to start a new life somewhere else. I was ready to hate it because of the bad score and bad reviews but instead I ended up nearly loving it. All the cast members (Charbonneau, Buscemi, David Strathairn and Stephen McHattie) give great and involving performances and our lead is like a cross between a lady in danger and a feisty heroine. The music was great, with a great '80s feel that even folks who didn't lived in those years like me will love and there are lots of entertaining moments such as the scene where Anna is in the park and after leaving her boyfriend she is approached by a black guy that puts happy music on the radio and then we cut to Buscemi putting some sugar in the Coke and making it go out of the can, or when Buscemi (yes, he has probably his first meaty role of his long career) goes in the clothing store and cuts the tent only for being shooed away by Anna's friend, or the last 20 minutes. The cinematography is great and it has a great thriller feel to it. If you are into forgotten movies, this is certainly one to see at least once because of the plot, performances and many thrilling moments. Spine-chilling, cold and full of twists and turns... nothing better than this!

Watchable only for "young" Steve Buscemi (age 31), who plays the part of "Switchblade," a knife-wielding criminal. The rest varies between terribly dull and eye-rollingly ridiculous, with the, er creative use of the orange falling in both categories. It's too tedious to list all of this film's issues, but I'd be remiss if I didn't call out the scene where a giant tank full of fish were killed unnecessarily. This isn't one I'd recommend unless you like those silly kind of bad movies, the ones where you watch and think they're so awful that you can't help but laugh at them. If you're not a fan of those, definitely skip this film.

Awkward dialogue and uneven acting at times. Film appears to be based on "Lady Beware," which fares better in every way. This film's only saving grace is seeing a pre-Disneyfied NYC. Great views of Downtown Manhattan. Can only recommend as a guilty pleasure/late-night cable viewing.