Denise Calls Up (1995) User Reviews

A Fable About Individualism and Solitude of the Modern Men and Women

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 6 June 2004]

A group of New Yorkers just have contact through telephone, fax and Internet. The conversation among them are only through telephone. The foods are ordered by telephone. Even sex is made by telephone. They are not able to go to the funeral of a common friend, or to join in a restaurant, or even to open the door for the others in a party. A creative critic to the individualism and solitude of the contemporary human beings. The difficulties of having a relationship and interact with another persons is presented in this acid comedy. A great work of edition, in a movie not indicated for all tastes. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): `Denise Está Chamando' (`Denise Is Calling')

Reach out, touch and enjoy this unusual and funny film about agoraphobics in NYC

[inkblot11 · 8/10 · 27 June 2007]

Frank (Tim Daly) and his girlfriend, Gail, broke up five years ago but still stay in touch on the phone. It is Gail's idea to fix up her friend, Barbara with Frank's friend (Liev Schreiber). Yet, when Gail gives Barbara the man's telephone number, they get disconnected quite a few times. Once they start talking, however, their conversations definitely "heat up". Meanwhile, another friend gives a party for everyone but no one shows up. That's because everyone in this small circle of friends is agoraphobic! They work at their apartments, mostly, and they stay in touch via Ma Bell everyday. Another friend, Martin, gets a mysterious call one day from a lady named Denny. It seems she's pregnant with Martin's child, from a "donation" he gave to the local sperm bank. She calls quite often to give Martin an update. Meanwhile, one of the friends suffers a life-changing event because of a mobile phone. Will anyone of these folks ever see each other in real life? This is a highly unusual but very entertaining film. It is told almost exclusively in telephone conversations between the parties. If this sounds boring, I assure you, it is not! All of the actors are terrific and give their characters a nice depth, despite the film's premise. The usual amenities, the costumes, the sets, and the production values, are fine, also. But, most of all, the script is a winner, with great lines and originality. If you are a film fan who never plays it safe, you will thoroughly enjoy this movie. So, even if you are an agoraphobic yourself, don't miss out on this one! Send someone to the video store, if you have to, to get this film into your hands. You will be darn glad you did.

Very hip, kooky, funny.

[=G= · 6/10 · 16 March 2001]

Life, love, sex, birth, death...and all on the phone. This very hip comedy is all about a handful of New York guys and gals who tend to their relationships via telephone while busily hammering at computers or are otherwise indisposed with the necessities of living. Fresh, creative, and fun, "DCU" moves along quickly and runs a short 80 minutes all the while keeping the audience wondering if these people are ever going to get together. Only for those into droll, spoofy, fast talking, relationship-based, off-the-wall comtempo comedy.

Got Phone?

[A_F_Waddell · 1 May 2001]

(May contain spoilers!)

I'd read the reviews when this came out in 1995, and had a positive Psychic Movie Reviewer Moment. Of course it was good. Certainly I would rent it someday. Suddenly, there I was at Blockbuster, with a copy of Denise Calls Up in my hands.

Characters connected by friendship and technology somehow never manage to actually see one another in person. Contemporary society experiences life, birth, lust, death, via technology. Did these people ever leave their apartments, or what?

An amusing statement upon relationships in the cyber age, Denise Calls Up has good performances by all. There were many realistic scenarios here, and great dialogue.

I was hoping that this diverse group of characters would eventually meet in person. But the scenes were all the more effective because some of the characters would not end up doing so. Even a funeral did not bring them together, nor a much ballyhooed New Year's Eve party at the end of the film: well, Denise and Marty, who'd had a child together, finally did meet in person.

One poignant and ironic scene involved two romantically involved characters who walk right past one another on the street, not knowing each other's physical identity.

In their portrayal of phone sex, characters Jerry and Barbara were brilliant. Seemingly a realistic portrayal of such,the characters began their neophyte experience hesitantly, awkwardly,and unsure of how to proceed. Eventually Jerry becomes convinced that Barbara is faking orgasm over the telephone. What a concept. (Paraphrasing)"I am soo upset. I just know that Barbara is faking it!... her choice of phraseology... her timing... her inflections! Damn! Who does she think she's fooling?"

Several of my favorite obscure actors starred. Alanna Uback was great as Denise. Also: See her hysterical performance as Marsha's sleepover friend in The Brady Bunch Movie.

Liev Schreiber as Jerry was excellent. He has been on my radar for a few years now. He recently portrayed Orson Welles in RKO 281. Also see him in The Daytrippers.

Rent Denise Calls Up today. See it again, or see it for the first time.

Quirky comedy, worth a look.

[soniaandree · 7/10 · 4 October 2006]

What was supposed to be an innocent movie screening in French at the local cinema, ended up being an original screening subtitled in French. My friends were equally surprised, but, had it not been for the movie being entertaining, the evening could have been a waste of my friends' time. The story is quirky, funny and dramatic, in a way. Characters are presented both separately and together, because the only way for them to be together is by phone. There is laughter, there are tears, the characters are very well defined, and it looks like a typical New-York drama-comedy, with great jokes and dialogues between the characters. A definite *must see* for a Friday eve. with friends.

Excellent, original movie. Definitely ahead of its time.

[mars-14 · 10/10 · 1 August 2000]

Just caught this movie on the Starz cable channel. Excellent, original movie. Great understated performances. Definitely ahead of its time. This movie was made in 1995, just as the Internet, email and wireless technology was coming to the fore. Five years on, this movie is even more relevant. I wonder how many people find themselves in the kind of relationships depicted. This movie is very European in outlook and sensibility. See it.

not a comedy deeply tragic!

[anxiousgayhorseonketamine · 9/10 · 19 October 2021]

Those guys are entirely at the beck and call of their machines in 1995

does not bode well for the future oh wait we know what the future loox like

but then it was new New Yorkers in their cells/pods/boudoirs having affairs setting up meetings that never take place in the real world deep deep alieNATION very very sad state of affairs

and yes there are amusing bits and pieces some ace actors but dear do we want to live there NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

never not even one day .... around the same time or a bit later there was something called cocooning but at least they were couples not lifers working for the man far too many hours and only connected through modems fax machines conference calls

i wonder if this was just an insane phase; would be nice to know what happened 20 years hence would it not? :) :)

One big stinker......

[besser0069 · 3/10 · 9 September 2002]

The only interest in this movie is Liev Schreiber. If it weren't for him.... I would never have watched the whole show. All it is about is talking on the phone... and about absolutely nothing. There is no great story line, no thrills, No real big surprises... not anything. Just a waste of time. There are much better things to do with your time.

Cyber-age yuppies have troubles "connecting"

[mdm-11 · 9/10 · 13 October 2004]

This unusual (to say the least) comedy is well ahead of its time with a message for all of us, who are so wrapped up in our work, that we have completely "un-learned" how to enjoy life. -- A 90-minute string of phone conversations, telephone answering machine messages and e-mails ends in at least TWO PEOPLE re-connecting with life they once knew as worth living. A group of "yuppie" friends is in contact only through modern day communication systems. When a young woman (Denise) calls the sperm donor, whose child she is about to give birth to, the cyber-serene world of the clique begins to rock. The scene where one of the friends leaves a phone message to another clique member while getting into a fatal car wreck is morbitly funny. This movie resembles a very long joke that entertains you while you eventually reach the punch line. There are many laughs, but the seriousness of the message behind this comedy remains after viewing. Have we all turned into little cell-phone-toting robots? Released in 1995, this film is in tune with our changing times. This film will "hit home" with a lot of people. Recommended!

Pretty good as Tory about how technology takes over lives

[kristincantor · 5/10 · 17 April 2023]

One of my teachers husband's wrote this movie. For some reason she said this would not be appropriate for us and once I saw it on TV, I didn't quite see why it wasn't. It wasn't quite a teen flick but it was about young adults in the dating world and how technology took over face to face interactions. I think teens would kind of relate. Maybe it wasn't written in a way that would totally appeal to teens but not totally inappropriate either. It was an interesting topic to explore since this was earlier at the very beginning of the technology error, before the internet and cell phones were mainstream.

This movie is way ahead its time.

[J.R.-8 · 9/10 · 14 February 1999]

This movie is very good all around acting, writing, directing. . Everybody knows someone who you are keeping the relationship up only by talking on the phone. I think this movie came out when only a small group of hardcore computer freaks sent message over the phone lines; before everybody in the world could send e-mail anytime, anywhere of the day. This is up there with 2001: A Space Odyssey and Citizen Kane as of being before its time REALLY!! Rent it a see if watching this movie isn't like looking into a mirror.

Will establish itself as a classic

[ptoche · 10/10 · 7 March 2009]

There are very good, specific comments on this film already, so I will limit mine to general, nearly abstract remarks.

While some of the technology used in the film may become obsolete, the main theme is timeless. The paradox is this: as humans get more and more connected by phones, faxes, internet, and so on, they become more and more disconnected from each other. Virtual contact replaces physical contact. We are not the better for it.

For raising a timeless question this movie will become a minor classic.

The film has a great sense of humor. It may appeal to East Coasters, to Europeans, to fans of Woody Allen, and to lovers of independent New York comedies.

Main target audience: you with the phone in the hand.

Denise won't stop talking.

[johnny-143 · 1/10 · 19 June 2001]

Unfortunately, I did not see this as "being right up there with 2001". I

did, however, find it not unlike looking in a mirror. For two hours.

With nothing else going on. And so it goes. The plot. Moved forward. At

about. This pace. And the camera. Never moved. It was like. Being

trapped. In a room. With Ben Stein. For two hours. There are some game

performances amidst all this nonsense though, but mostly you feel sorry

for the actors- clearly they thought the director had a 'concept' that

was worth humiliating themselves for. The director didn't, so

consequently you have a bunch of pretty talented people talking into

phones for two hours. And the camera, I'm not kidding, DOES NOT MOVE.

Perhaps this was shot for computer screens, I don't know, but it sure

doesn't work as a film.

highly recommended piece of comic, satirical art

[pzanardo · 10/10 · 21 September 2000]

Who else used so much intelligence to create a piece of comic, satirical art, as Hal Salwen did with "Denise Calls Up"? Well, Billy Wilder of course, and then Woody Allen and the Coen brothers, when in great shape. "Denise Calls Up" is an unknown masterpiece built upon an idea of genius, which I deliberately avoid to comment. I intend to say nothing of the plot, either. However, the acting of a bunch of young, talented actors is excellent, the photography is accurate, and there are no words to praise enough the script. The sharp satire of crazy sides of our modern life gives raise to a Rossini's crescendo of fun.

As a recommendation, let me tell an incident that gives an idea of the value of the movie. I was so lucky to record this hidden treasure, broad-casted over-night on a pay-TV. I lent the video to friends and colleagues, raising general enthusiasm. But what more stunned me is that several of them said to me "Can I keep the cassette for another while? I would like to see it again, and I also want to show it to my friends"!

Let me conclude with a little appeal: Mr. Salwen, where are you? Please give us another fantastic work like "Denise calls Up". I refuse to think that a talent, capable of making such a masterpiece, has to remain silent. We crave after news from you.

Unbelievably Original, Delightful & Funny!

[BlueJulia21877 · 10/10 · 23 February 2004]

I just saw this movie on WE Network and felt compelled to comment. I mean it was just, like, totally delightful! Hal Salwen has the world we live in pegged perfectly! Schreiber is spot on as the repressed shut-in, and Ubach is a standout as the quirky Denise who's struggling to reach out from her own little enclosed space. Hooray for everyone, cast and Salwen, for just a wonderfully sly, bittersweet, but ultimately satisfying experience!

Old technology, timeless human flaws.

[fabiofraccarolli · 9/10 · 30 August 2018]

Very nice to see this again after so many years. It's a different world now but you can see here the seeds of nowadays crazy relation with technology.

A sparkling little jewel

[KellyJune7317 · 10/10 · 26 October 2002]

My girlfriend, an aspiring movie critic (who told me about this internet site) just brought this flick home from the video store and said she heard good things (seems they study this movie in her film classes). I was dubious... and then I was bowled over. I mean are there any more movies out there (in english, and that aren't fifty years old) that I haven't heard of that are this good? The only problem is, too many movies like this might ruin me for the knuckle-brained stuff that's in the theaters (and that I must admit I do enjoy). Still, once and awhile it's good to sip a nice wine, after overloading on diet pepsi. Try it.

Like they put it together today.

[jmaayan · 8/10 · 15 November 2020]

Although it is a very old film it is very suitable for the current era with the covid-19 and zoom.

Brilliantly funny, well observed, insightful, clever farce!

[whooshy222 · 9/10 · 5 March 2002]

Wow. Just saw this film on cable and couldn't stop watching it. So refreshing. And brilliantly funny. A well observed, insightful farce. Like something Oscar Wilde would have written if he were alive today. Just so clever! And very well directed, the director letting the mostly unknown actors who all do a wonderful job (with the Barbara character a particular standout) just do their thing, though the camera does move at just the right moments, and the framing and editing and what have you is impeccable. But it's the writing that stands out. Of course it's an exaggeration for effect, but, I mean, it's such an obvious idea, it's been there forever-- what's happening to us in the modern world-- and this Salwen guy could see it. Anyway, Just thought I'd put it out there. Anyway, if you're into smart comedies that aren't like anything you've seen before, then see this movie if you get the chance.

A comedy with an edge ...

[fargo26 · 8/10 · 6 March 1999]

Having just finished watching Denise calls up (my 2nd time for this one since it was released) ... I feel it is an excellent comedy that everyone can relate to.

Having lots of friends but never enough time to actually meet them, get together.

Making plans but always cancelling at the last minute for some obscure reason ... this is something most people can relate to.

I was impressed again by the performances of all of the actors which are excellent. Especially the actress who plays Barbara which I think was giving a wonderful and believable performance.

Definitely the best performance of the movie in my mind.

Some funny moments, some sad ones ... this one is a little rollercoaster ride that is quite pleasant to watch ...

Rating : 3.5/5

Modern digital alienation

[BWag · 10 February 2000]

Sure, everyone has this sort of relationship, more phone call than interaction, but ain't it a shame... These are some of the most alienated, dysfunctional people I have ever seen. They're so detached they can't get up and answer the doorbell for a party they're hosting. Or even go to a friend's funeral. This is fabulous ensemble acting, a fact made the more rionic because none of these people actually encounter each other physically. (Of course, writing this commentary on a computer and transmitting it via modem is even more ironic.

phone sex anyone?...hold please, call waiting

[helpless_dancer · 24 September 1999]

Funny spoof on the high tech, alienated society we live in today.At first this film aggravated me with all the telephones ringing and no one talking face to face. However, after a few minutes I settled into the routine and enjoyed watching a group of job junkies who were unable to relate to anyone unless they had re-dial, voice mail, and speaker phones.