Call Me

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.

****SPOILERS**** Somewhat disjointed but never really boring movie about a big city magazine journalist getting a phone call one afternoon and by thinking that the person on the other end of the line is her boyfriend Alex, Sam Freed. Thus, what seems to me, encourages the caller who may very well have not planned to at first to become more daring and bold then he should or would have been.

Asking Anne, Patricia Charbonneau,to meet him at a local watering hole "The Polish Bar" where instead of finding her boyfriend Alex Anne witnesses the murder of a transvestite Presser, John Seitz, by a corrupt police detective Henyk, Olek Krupa. It turns out that the transvestites partner and possibly lover Switchblade, Steve Buscemi, ripped off Det.Henyk as well as his boss, Ernest Abuba of their monthly take. Switchblade's other partner who was in the bar when all this happened Jellybean, Stephen McHattie, had no idea that Switchblade was involved in robbing his boss as well as Det. Henyk who was working for him. Determined to get their money back the hoods deduced that Anna was the one who took the cash since she was in the ladies room at the time when Presser, the transvestite, was murdered and left the bar right after that.

The rest of the movie is about Det. Henyk and Jellybean trying to find who the woman is that was with the transvestite at the time of his murder to retrieve their money that they thought that she had. Switchblade also tries to find her but not to get the money that he knew that she didn't have, he did, but to have her silenced so his partners would not suspect that he was involved in robbing them.

While all this is happening Anna keeps getting phone calls from her "secret admirer" who not only seems to know everything about her but also seems to be watching her from one of the nearby buildings. Instead of hanging up or calling the police Anna gets so heated up and turned on by the callers phone calls that when Alex catches her in one of those conversations he finds Anna more aroused with the caller on the phone then she ever was with Alex in bed. Alex hurt and humiliated at what he sees, and hears, there and then put and end to his relationship with Anna.

Later in the movie when Anna does find out just who this "fishy" admirer who's been calling her really is after she had a one-night stand with him in bed not on the phone. Angrily dumping the slippery eel Anna leaves him all wet for all the trouble that he caused her. Later the "fishy guy" quickly redeems himself by saving Anna's life from both Det. Henyk and Switchblade who found out who she was and where she lived but at the cost of his own life.

In the end it turned out that Jellybean the other hood who was completely left out in the cold about what was really going on around him by his cheating partner Switchblade ended up being the man that Anna liked most. As the closing credits started to roll Jellybean seemed to have started some kind of relationship with her which also looks like the start of a beautiful friendship.

Very creepy movie that tries to be Hitchcockien with it's characters and Film Noir with it's story but "Call Me" is just too unconvincing to be taken seriously either way.

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.

Diverting and fun, with a few thrills thrown in. Mixes two plot lines cleverly, if with a little too much coincidence! Very atmospheric with hidden corners of New York City, especially at night. A really cool, nicely executed look - sort of film noir in color. Good work by the DP and production & costume designers. (look at all the oranges & blues)

Fun cast - young Steve Buscemi, David Strathairn, Boyd Gaines (double Tony winner on B'way!), Patti D'Arbanville. Patricia Charbonneau is attractive in the lead, and Stephen McHattie is coolly creepy as the chief baddie.

Not great, but a solid B movie - a guilty pleasure. (It's even a little erotic - but watch out for strong language, if you're squeamish about 'bad' sex words.)

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.