Search - Call Me - The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss on DVD

The dark Hollywood underworld

D. Roberts | Battle Creek, Michigan United States | 05/20/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I did not know too much about Heidi Fleiss before seeing this DVD. I only vaguely recall a mini-interview she did for PLAYBOY before heading off to prison. Although I've never given her much thought, I basically thought of her as a sort of entrepreneur in an albeit illegal business. In any case, I figured that she never hurt anyone and that her lifestyle was basically innocuous.

I was wrong. If this docu-drama is close to being accurate (and I doubt if they sensationalized the story TOO much) then Heidi Fleiss is a very nasty, arrogant, deceitful, shallow, stoned-out spoiled brat of a person. After seeing this film I found myself with zero sympathy for her. In fact, the biggest "tragedy" of her life is that she served only 20 months of her 7 year prison sentence.

Portraying the vindictive Fleiss is Jamie-Lynn DiScala, and she does a very credible job. Sometimes it's difficult for actors to take on un-likeable characters without over-acting. DiScala has a natural screen-presence and is a perfect fit.

The movie itself is decent. There are some steamy scenes here & there, although I thought there could have been more (and longer lasting!). There is something about seeing topless women walking around a pool (seemingly 50 yards from the camera) that makes me think "Gosh, what a waste!" Ditto for seeing DiScala's breasts for all of 5 seconds.

If you're interested in Fleiss this movie might be worth a look. If you're looking for a steamy flick there are better ones out there. All in all, if you are looking for movie biographies there are much more interesting and worthwhile PEOPLE out there who have had docu-dramas done on their lives as well. That's my take on things."

Not a Real Nude Scene

Joshua Miller | Coeur d'Alene,ID | 06/16/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A quick reminder to the audience about this movie...It is a TV movie. 2nd thing, I realize a lot of people want to see this movie for one reason. They get to see Jamie-Lynn DiScala (although she's now divorced and using the last name Sigler) disrobe. Well, as for the first comment...It's a TV movie and if you're watching it, it's pretty obvious what it is. But, it's not horrible for a TV movie. In the land of bio-pics, it's no masterpiece but it has its moments of entertainment and it's pretty interesting. The 2nd thing, despite various reports you do not actually see DiScala take her clothes off. She's using a body double and the network did not even attempt to hide this little fact. In the scene where DiScala is meeting Brenda Fricker, she opens her shirt. The camera pulls back, as Fricker asks for DiScala to come closer. Look at DiScala's face...It's not hers, then there's a quick cut and marvelously, DiScala's face has reappeared. So, for the naked DiScala seekers. this is the wrong spot. But, anyway, this movie basically tells you what you probably already knew (Heidi Fleiss is on every 'E Network' special there is). Heidi Fleiss became a prostitute to big names in the entertainment business and eventually took over as Madame and began banking more money than she could handle. Eventually she was caught, jailed, and released. DiScala's performance is far from Meadow, whom she plays on "The Sopranos", and there's times where she even looks like Heidi Fleiss (except, for the record, DiScala is way hotter) but sometimes the dialogue is really bad so it looks like a bad soap opera. It's hard for me to grade this film because it's really bad, but it's kind of good. So, this movie may not warrant the "B" grade in the same way a movie like "Crash" would warrant an "A" grade...But, oh well.

GRADE: B-
"

Interesting, but probably not a movie I'd watch again

Sara Swihart | Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA | 06/05/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Before watching "Call Me - The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss", the only thing I knew about Heidi or her life was what I had seen on the news several years ago.

Watching the movie knowing nothing about Fleiss until she was on the news, I thought that it was very interesting to see what didn't make the tabloids.

Fleiss comes off as poorly disciplined, free-spirited, and spoiled. All of these traits which carry into her "professional" life. I think that Jamie-Lynn DiScala did a really great job portraying the Hollywood Madame.

I would definitely say that due to the content and subject matter, this movie wouldn't be for everyone. And, if you're expecting this to be soft-core, it's not. It's more of a video biography."