'Delirious' accurately depicts insanity of show business
Becky Kinder
Issue date: 8/27/07 Section: Diversions
At one time or another everyone dreams of having the excitement of the entertainment industry and the fame that can come with it, right?
Well, it is not all glitz and glamour, and the road to fame and success from a career in entertainment can be paved with hardship and loneliness. Writer/director Tom DiCillo's new film "Delirious" depicts how a pair of men entrenched in the show business life depend on each other as they seek fame and fortune.
In "Delirious," celebrity photographer Les (Steve Buscemi) and aspiring actor Toby (Michael Pitt) meet and join forces, each wanting to reach their goals on their own two feet while also seeing that the other can give them a leg up as they build a bizarre friendship along the way.
Buscemi plays a role he was born for as Les, who can be viewed as either a sleazy paparazzi nobody or a man with enough heart to earn sympathy. Buscemi's performance shows hints of a strong, self-assured man (though his physical appearance begs to differ), and we see Les' true self-loathing seep out.
Unfortunately, Pitt does not give much of a standout performance as Toby, though his character ends up catching the eye of many, including film and pop princess K'harma (Alison Lohman) and sexy, older casting director Dana (Gina Gershon).
Pitt's baby face and bad-boy image (through DiCillo's stereotypical-but-funny use of unkempt hair and a scar) lend him a mix of innocence and street-wise drive, characteristics that draw the other characters to Toby.
DiCillo's outstanding script takes the realities of the entertainment industry and shows the audience how truly ridiculous, hilarious, painstaking and heartbreaking it all can be.
Making fun of almost every industry issue and cliche out there while remaining realistic is tricky, but DiCillo is masterful. We see the homeless actor get his big break and the famous beauty who feels alone even though she always has people around her. We even get a scene with a charity event called "Soap Stars Against STDs" in which they give out "Beat STDs" grab bags.
"Delirious" is very funny with its realistic extremes, but it also shows the more serious side of partaking in the odd world of Hollywood. Touching, romantic, and heartbreaking moments give this movie less of a feeling of a satire and more of a feeling of a dark comedy about life in the entertainment industry.
"Delirious" is now playing in select cities.
Issue date: 8/27/07 Section: Diversions
At one time or another everyone dreams of having the excitement of the entertainment industry and the fame that can come with it, right?
Well, it is not all glitz and glamour, and the road to fame and success from a career in entertainment can be paved with hardship and loneliness. Writer/director Tom DiCillo's new film "Delirious" depicts how a pair of men entrenched in the show business life depend on each other as they seek fame and fortune.
In "Delirious," celebrity photographer Les (Steve Buscemi) and aspiring actor Toby (Michael Pitt) meet and join forces, each wanting to reach their goals on their own two feet while also seeing that the other can give them a leg up as they build a bizarre friendship along the way.
Buscemi plays a role he was born for as Les, who can be viewed as either a sleazy paparazzi nobody or a man with enough heart to earn sympathy. Buscemi's performance shows hints of a strong, self-assured man (though his physical appearance begs to differ), and we see Les' true self-loathing seep out.
Unfortunately, Pitt does not give much of a standout performance as Toby, though his character ends up catching the eye of many, including film and pop princess K'harma (Alison Lohman) and sexy, older casting director Dana (Gina Gershon).
Pitt's baby face and bad-boy image (through DiCillo's stereotypical-but-funny use of unkempt hair and a scar) lend him a mix of innocence and street-wise drive, characteristics that draw the other characters to Toby.
DiCillo's outstanding script takes the realities of the entertainment industry and shows the audience how truly ridiculous, hilarious, painstaking and heartbreaking it all can be.
Making fun of almost every industry issue and cliche out there while remaining realistic is tricky, but DiCillo is masterful. We see the homeless actor get his big break and the famous beauty who feels alone even though she always has people around her. We even get a scene with a charity event called "Soap Stars Against STDs" in which they give out "Beat STDs" grab bags.
"Delirious" is very funny with its realistic extremes, but it also shows the more serious side of partaking in the odd world of Hollywood. Touching, romantic, and heartbreaking moments give this movie less of a feeling of a satire and more of a feeling of a dark comedy about life in the entertainment industry.
"Delirious" is now playing in select cities.
Labels: Becky, Delirious, film, Kinder, movies, Muhleman, Rebecca, Review, reviews
posted by Kinder Coaching | 3:07 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home