Dreadfully Boring

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Samson is a writer with a vivid imagination. Delilah is a troubled woman unknowingly seeking more beyond her mundane life as a sex-line operator. She has an equally vivid imagination. Serendipitous happenstance brings the two of them together for a series of telephone calls over a single evening where their chemistry is undeniable as they intertwine their personal fantasies, desires and vulnerabilities through very romantic and sexy stories, each of them taking turns imagining with the other. The overall premise is fun and the two of them have real chemistry and share an equal level of attractiveness that feels real and genuine. The film leaves some blatant plot holes that reduce its overall impact. The biggest head-scratcher being who was the old guy in Delilah's fantasies and why was he there? A Freudian nod to daddy issues? The film ends with the two of them passing each other in the street, making eye contact but leaving the viewer to imagine if the two would ever meet in person. I was left wanting more of their sexy banter and wanted to see the chemistry take off within the intimacy of face-to-face contact. Even something as fun as meeting up coincidentally on a vacation. I felt a little unsatisfied at the end of the film but I enjoyed it nonetheless. 6/10

I don't want to be mean to this movie ... but it just didn't work for me. I loved the setup, Samson's & Delilah's conversation, and the sets. I wish the director had stopped with just these ... but no!Why and for what purpose the 'lone man' was thrown into Delilah's world is not explained. And the costumed fantasy parts just fall flat. The viewer should have been allowed to imagine along with the telephone fantasies! The two characters descriptions are detailed enough to bring whats in their minds to life without portraying it on screen.Samson is needlessly curt in one scene only to come back as considerate and caring. He's the foundation of the whole story and to have him suddenly just drop the conversation was unnecessary (even if he had reached satisfaction).I would enjoy seeing a edited and shorter version of this movie!