Sunday, January 14, 2018

Dangerous yet Seductive NY in the 80s

Call Me (1988) - Mitchell
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Anna (Patricia Charbonneau), a reporter at some New York paper with boring food writer boyfriend living in what's considered as South Williamsburg in still sketchy NY. She starts getting obscene phone calls. It ain't right. She wants to confront the pervert and he suggests a rendez-vous in the Polish Bar, a local dive. A suave, dangerous looking criminal element (young Stephen McHattie) is also there hitting on her. Is he the phone creep? Then she witnesses a murder in the bathroom. Some dirty cop is involved. Anna is convinced that that dangerous but irresistibly charming man is indeed the man on the other line. Also he might be involved in that murder?

With David Sanborn style cheese jazz score and Manhattan skyline over the bridge from the windows and rooftops, Call Me paints that stereotypical New York in the 80s- dangerous yet highly seductive. The plot doesn't make much sense and convoluted. It's twists and turns highly unnecessary. McHattie looks great in bleached blonde hair and dark long overcoat, doing his best Rutger Hauer. Charbonneau, a dark haired Sheena Easton beauty looks great in various 80s outfits. Steve Buscemi and David Strathairn show up as well to round up the cast. It also has one of the hottest phone sex scene ever captured on film. A total nostalgia piece that I always wanted to watch just looking at its VHS cover long long ago. Worth it!