Through a lens, darkly
August 29, 2008
Writer-director Tom DiCillo returns to the same sharply observed, navel-gazing territory he explored in his previous films "The Real Blonde" and "Living in Oblivion", namely, pointed meditations on the personal and artistic angst that performers (and all those who take succor from their celebrity) must suffer as they busily claw their way to fame and fortune.
DeCillo regular Steve Buscemi portrays the peevish Les Galantine, a bottom feeding paparazzi who fancies himself as the heir apparent to Richard Avedon. We are introduced to Les in a scene that strongly recalls Martin Scorcese's introduction of the desperate and needy autograph hounds in "The King of Comedy"; a group of photographers hurl insults and elbows at each other as they jostle for position waiting for a glimpse of the ridiculously named K'Harma Leeds (Alison Lohman), a wispy pop diva. We observe as Les establishes himself as the alpha parasite, shoving his way to the front of the swarm.
Also on hand is an aspiring actor turned homeless bum named Toby Grace (oy, the names of these characters!) portrayed with wide-eyed, angelic, erm, grace by Michael Pitt. Quite by accident, Toby literally stumbles into affording Les the money shot of the diva as she steals out a side door. Toby subsequently ingratiates himself into an overnight stay on Les' couch, and, with the opportunistic instinct of a street person, proceeds to convince the initially suspicious photographer that he needs an "assistant" to help him get more of those page one tabloid photos (a job he will gladly fill in exchange for room and board).
To avoid spoilers, let's just say serendipity (and a tremendous suspension of disbelief on the part of the viewer) eventually lands the homeless Toby into a plum role in a hot new TV series, and a star is born, greatly complicating his friendship with the now embittered and still-struggling Les, who feels Toby is "his" discovery (Pitt is basically reprising the same "All About Eve" type character he portrayed in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch".)
DiCillo isn't exactly breaking new ground either, but he executes it with his patented blend of darkly comic cynicism tempered by a vibe of magical realism; it is a uniquely identifiable style of modern fable-telling that has made me a fan of the director's work.
Buscemi is at his "lovable weasel" best here, and the strong supporting cast includes the always dependable indie stalwart Kevin Corrigan (Who?! If you saw him, you would say "Oh yeah-THAT guy!") and a surprisingly great turn from Gina Gershon, who displays a real flair for vicious comedy as a cutthroat agent (sort of a female version of Ari Gold from HBO's "Entourage".) Also look for Elvis Costello, playing himself in a hilarious cameo. I wouldn't call this DeCillo's best film (that would be "Living in Oblivion", with "Box of Moonlight" running a close second, IMHO), but fans of backstage tales will definitely get some jollies out of it.
What About Michael Pitt?
July 22, 2008
Delirious
Everyone talks about Steve Buscemi, okay, he's great, but we've seen him a thousand times before. What about Michael Pitt? He has made some interesting choices in his career, and this character is no different. He does have a beautiful face, and that's what gets him where he arrives at the end of this movie. Is he a talented actor? You betcha. He is more talented that Steve Buscemi? That's a good question. Steve Buscemi is good at what he does, whether in indie films, acting and directing, or on "The Sopranos". Michael Pitt is always spectacular. He is someone to watch. He is riveting. I watched (and bought) this movie because Michael Pitt was in it. I am not disappointed.
Worth Checking out (Make that Three and a half stars! )
(2 of 2 Found this Helpful)
July 2, 2008
In "Delirious," Les (played by Steve Buscemi), a jittery, disorganized and neurotic paparazzo, takes in a scruffy, homeless kid named Toby (Micheal Pitt)for a night and then decides to make Toby his (go-fer) assistant. But the middle-aged Les is a great pretender. He's actually a scrounging bottom-feeder, a deluded dreamer who teaches Toby some of the tricks of his trade--everything from gate-crashing high- and low-end parties for the free buffet spreads to swiping goodie bags from glitzy premiers and media events. Toby, however, turns out to be trustworthy, calm, sweet-natured and, most importantly, a very good looking young man who soon attracts the attentions of a casting agent (Gina Gershon) and, later still, a troubled starlet (Alison Lohman). Pulled up from the bottom, Toby becomes a star, leaving a jealous, possessive and increasingly infuriated Les to stew in his own grungy, hand-to-mouth existence. "Delirious" is ostensibly about the men's hard-bitten relationship. But as written and directed by Tom DiCillo, this independently-made film is actually a very tart commentary on the symbiotic relationship between media-driven infatuation and the fishbowl of celebrity culture--although "Delirious" is less cynical and far less fatalistic than its prototype, "Midnight Cowboy" (the 1969 X-rated Oscar-winning movie which starred Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight in comparable roles). As with "Midnight Cowboy," there is an undeniable core of feeling that develops between the two characters. Overall, this is an above-average movie that is definitely worth checking out!
Buscemi is the man
(13 of 15 Found this Helpful)
March 25, 2008
I've always been a big Steve Buscemi fan, and he can hold a movie together just about as well as anyone, and this is no different.
Buscemi does a great job portraying on the role of a paparazzi photographer who is waiting for his opportunity to get the 'shot heard 'round the world'. In his journey, he finds himself a friend in a homeless Toby, who dreams of becoming an actor. The interplay between the two characters drives this movie.
The acting is pretty well done, but Buscemi, with his usual strong performance makes the movie good.
I recommend a rental.
Corrections
(3 of 3 Found this Helpful)
March 8, 2008
This is not really a review. Just wanted to point out a few things. If you read in the film description above it says "Toby gets an acting job on a reality TB show."
They haven't started making these shows about tuberculosis yet. They're still just making reality TV shows.
Plus, they don't mention there are a lot of extras included on this dvd. Here they are:
--Director's commentary.
--18 minute behind-the-scenes featurette with DiCillo and Buscemi.
--full-length version of the music video for the song Alison Lohman performs in the film.
--3 video podcasts made to promote the film on the web. They star Buscemi, DiCillo and Gershon.
