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CALL ME (1988) 7 of 10 stars ⭐

BASIC PLOT: Anna (Patricia Charbonneau) is discontented and unsatisfied in her current romantic relationship. Her boyfriend, Alex (Sam Freed) is never interested in her life, and as of late, isn't even interested in sex. So, when Anna receives a salacious phone call, she thinks it's Alex, trying to reignite their relationship. The caller instructs her to wear something titillating, go to a certain bar, and leave her panties at home. Her excitement is palpable, but when she arrives at the bar, Alex isn't there. Instead, there's a well dressed man, (Stephen McHattie) exuding sensual danger. His interest in Anna overwhelms her, and she runs in the opposite direction. Anna realizes, too late, Alex did not send her to this bar. Her fantasy has caged her. If she leaves, who will follow? Trying to clear her head, she goes to the ladies room. But instead of offering a refuge, she hears a bizarre and violent altercation. Someone in the next stall is being brutally assaulted, it's over stolen money, and the perpetrator is a cop (John Seitz). Anna's life is now in free fall. She can't go to the cops, she's being followed, and the phone calls keep coming. Can she decipher where the danger is coming from, in time to free herself from it's clutches?

WHAT WORKS: *Stephen McHattie and Steve Buscemi, give standout performances, as Jellybean and Switchblade. Stephen McHattie, never says much, he doesn't have to. You feel his character, and that takes real talent.

*THE ANCILLARY CHARACTERS ARE ALL FIRST RATE Patti D'Arbanville, as Cori, Anna's best friend, adds a layer to Anna's character, and depth to the story. All of the side characters work, and they are portrayed by first rate actors. David Strathairn plays Anna's boss, and his motives blur between sleezy and professional. Sam Freed, gives a stellar performance as Alex, Anna's boyfriend. The character is despicable, and he plays it well.

*THERE ARE PLENTY OF SUSPECTS Unlike many movies in the neo-noir/erotic thriller genre, this movie gives you plenty of suspects. It could be Sam (David Strathairn), Anna's boss, or maybe it's the gorgeous, yet dangerous man at the restaurant (Stephen McHattie). There's also Fred (George Gerdes), Cori's beau, Bill (Boyd Gaines), a friend, or even the mysterious stranger, who's paying too close attention to Anna, while she's out shopping. I didn't know till the very end, which made this a refreshing change from the norm.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: *WHY MUST WE BETRAY WOMEN WITH FALSE MESSAGES ABOUT THEIR SEXUALITY?

Anna (Patricia Charbonneau) becomes enraged when she discovers her obscene phone caller is someone she knows. Why? She's totally into it, until it's out in the light. Why does she feel this way, because "good girls" never feel sexual? She's totally bored with Alex (Sam Freed), her boyfriend, because he's not sexual enough. When she thinks he's the caller, she drops her panties (literally), and runs right for it. So, why would she be mad at something that turns her on? Why does women's sexuality scare everyone so much? (I found myself wanting to scream the Meredith Johnson (Demi Moore)monologue, from the movie, tt010963. "It is the same damn thing since the beginning of time. Veil it, hide it, lock it up and throw away the key. We expect a woman to do a man's job, make a man's money, and then walk around with a parasol and lie down for a man to ____ her, like it was still a hundred years ago? Well, no thank you!")

*THE LAST SCENE SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT OFF This goes to the previous point about women's sexuality. Anna's very attracted to Jellybean (Stephen McHattie) throughout the movie; this is why she's so into the phone calls (she thinks they're from him). So, why have her wipe his number off her hand? Why not leave it ambiguous, for the audience to decide? Because "good girls" don't like dangerous men? That's a laugh! This is a small point, but an important one. It's another negative message to women about their sexual wants and needs.

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION: *I would definitely recommend this movie to fans of neo-noir, erotic thrillers, Stephen McHattie, or Steve Buscemi. This is an awesome little movie, and I'm so glad I found it.

CLOSING NOTES: *WARNING: ANIMAL CRUELTY This is a personal thing, but the character Anna, kills a BUNCH of fish, simply because she's mad at their owner. I find this not only distasteful, but also cruel, and it lowered the character in my eyes. I always try to warn viewers if there is animal cruelty in a movie, so heads up everybody.

*I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE FILM, or production in ANY way. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews. Hope I helped you out.

One day the measured everyday life of a girl working as a journalist in one of the publishing houses is interrupted by a strange call. For some obscure reason, she, without any ulterior motive, takes the stranger for her friend, with whom she has a rather contradictory relationship. Starting from this, at first glance, insignificant detail, the further cycle of events begins. At the insistence of the caller she arrives at a nearby bar and becomes a witness to a spontaneous murder. Then there is a generally typical set for any simple thriller - a corrupt policeman, dark streets of an average city somewhere in the USA, a friend who will always give a couple of useful (and not so useful) pieces of advice, indifferent colleagues, as well as a couple of moderately colorful criminal elements. In essence could have finished here, but some components of this picture taken separately allow it to stand out a little against the background of numerous, often completely faceless, brothers in the genre, which especially gained popularity in the second half of the eighties and the following nineties of the twentieth century.

Probably everyone knows the combination of good cop - bad cop. Here is a more unusual layout using the example of the «other side of the barricades». The first figure is the melancholic, taciturn and thoughtful Stephen McHattie, who dyed his hair a slightly acid-blond color. The second is an unbalanced psychopath in a leather jacket, occasionally (and without) waving a switchblade and wearing slicked-back hair, aka Steve Buscemi in one of his early roles, several years before Tarantino's creation, which made him famous to a certain extent. This explosive combination of incompatible opposites needs to find the wayward person at all costs, not without difficulty maneuvering in the discrepancies between plans and approaches to solving this, as it turns out later, not the easiest task.

In addition, as the action progresses, the three main characters mentioned will continue to be accompanied by a mysterious lover of frank conversations, the final alignment with whom will be revealed from an unusual side only closer to the end, as well as, acting as a kind of separate actor, the brick gateways of New York.

As a result it can be noted that watching the twists and turns of all the mentioned elements turns out to be quite interesting, therefore a positive review and a rating relevant to the genre specifics of category "B" thrillers.

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 pornography 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.

Call Me (1988), directed by Sollace Mitchell, is a violent and erotic thriller that attempts to capture the gritty, sordid atmosphere of late 1980s New York. The story follows Anna, a young journalist who receives an obscene phone call she believes is from her boyfriend. When she agrees to meet him at a bar, she inadvertently becomes a witness to a murder. From there, Anna's life spirals into a dangerous web of mystery, suspense, and encounters with dark, menacing characters, including a killer.

Mitchell's direction makes effective use of urban locations to heighten the sense of danger and claustrophobia, while Zoltan David's cinematography employs stark contrasts of light and shadow to emphasize the film's thriller tone. The portrayal of New York as a cold, grimy, and chaotic environment feels authentic and adds to the film's atmosphere. However, the narrative itself is plagued by logical inconsistencies and an exasperatingly slow progression of events. Anna's decisions, in particular, border on the absurd, which can test the audience's patience.

Steve Buscemi stands out in one of his early roles as a criminal, bringing his trademark intensity and eccentricity to the character. Yet, even his performance struggles to elevate a story that relies too heavily on genre clichés and lacks cohesion.

In conclusion, Call Me delivers a well-crafted aesthetic and some moments of genuine tension, but its weak plot and illogical character behavior undermine its potential. While visually compelling, the film ultimately falls short of being a truly engaging thriller.

Reasonably entertaining thriller, which maintains an intriguingly ambiguous atmosphere for at least its first hour, when you don't know who might turn out to be a villain and how the two parallel plotlines are going to merge. The director also makes good use of the N.Y locations, but the story is filled with too many coincidences and improbabilities. An early showcase for the talent of Steve Buscemi. (**1/2)