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Delirious
Metascore
68 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
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  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    88
    This is the best DiCillo movie I've seen, and he's made some good ones ("Box of Moonlight," "The Real Blonde").
  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Sura Wood
    80
    Smart, funny and ultimately over-the-top spoof is more often than not, spot on.
  3. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    80
    Among DiCillo's best, and returns to the central theme of his career: the elusive and destructive nature of fame.
  4. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    80
    Tom DiCillo's angry comedy Delirious subjects modern celebrity culture to a microscopic examination that shows the toxic virus of fame squirming and multiplying under its lens.
  5. Variety
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Holland
    80
    An all-or-nothing perf from old DiCillo hand Steve Buscemi and a script that leaves no ironical stone unturned make this laugh-out-loud fare.
  6. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: David Denby
    80
    The movie is exhilarating in a way that only hard-won knowledge of the world can be.
  7. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    75
    Buscemi makes this pathetic and potentially lethal shutterbug a figure of surprising humor and compassion.
  8. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Tasha Robinson
    75
    Engaging, intelligent and enjoyable.
  9. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jack Mathews
    75
    In the end, I don't know that Delirious has all that much to say about the fame game, but you'll laugh nonetheless.
  10. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    75
    Despite some plot holes, Delirious, hits the bull's-eye with razor-sharp performances and dialogue.
  11. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: David Wiegand
    75
    Wonderfully giddy meditation on the nature of fame.
  12. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    75
    DiCillo's short, sharp snapshot about celebrity and life on the fringe has nothing new to say, but it says it with considerable charm and affection.
  13. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Jeremy Mathews
    70
    The story's surprises range from clever to annoying, but DiCillo manages to hold it all together with his consistently amusing cast members, who make you laugh at their characters' self-absorbed folly.
  14. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: J. Hoberman
    70
    Agently attitudinous, generally zippy urban fairy tale about pop stars and the hangers-on who coddle (or prey upon) them, Tom DiCillo's Delirious is a mild "Midnight Cowboy," a minor "King of Comedy," and mainly a vehicle for Steve Buscemi as a lower Manhattan–based paparazzo.
  15. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Crust
    70
    A story peopled by flawed archetypes, it's an achingly funny film that is also a little sad around the edges.
  16. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    67
    The jokes are sparse and predictable, and the storytelling is, too. But Buscemi and Gershon have great fun with their roles, and Pitt is strangely agreeable about the whole thing. Bully for him.
  17. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    63
    Everyone here is obsessed with finding "the real thing" - the next hot actor, the next revealing paparazzi shot, the lover or the friend who'll make it all worthwhile. Everyone settles for the illusion of reality instead. It's prettier, and it doesn't hurt so much.
  18. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    58
    It would be nice to see a sharp, funny, penetrating satire of the new, kicked-up culture of empty media fame, but Tom DiCillo's scattershot buddy movie Delirious isn't it.
  19. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    58
    Though it scores a reasonable share of laughs, Delirious might have been better off if it weren't a comedy at all.
  20. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Glenn Kenny
    50
    The movie becomes less fizzy once DeCillo decides to make A Statement (a rather incoherent one at that).
  21. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Rosenbaum
    50
    Purports to give us the lowdown on Manhattan celebrity life, yet it depends so consistently on plot contrivances and other movies (The King of Comedy, Midnight Cowboy, even All About Eve) that it often comes across as wannabe muckraking.
  22. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    42
    Too many different stories are vying for attention here, and none of them are very good.
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. ChadS.
    9
    Who makes you delirious? Fiona Apple makes me delirious. Boys have crushes on pop stars too, just like Lucie(Islid LeBesco) in Emmanuelle Bercot's "Backstage", a French film from 2006 about a fan's obsession with female pop star Lauren Waks(Emmanuelle Seigner), a diva, just like K'Harma Leeds(Alison Lohman), whom Toby Grace(Michael Pitt) is besotted with. Rather than be a gopher, this former-photographer's assistant becomes K'harma's boyfriend, and the star of a reality-TV show that makes being homeless the next chic thing. "Delirious" is a very smart and funny film about how the paparazzi needs the stars, and the stars need the paparazzi. What's surprising about "Delirious" is that the film sides with Les Galantine(Steve Buscemi) rather than the stars, who are portrayed here as vapid, egocentric(with the exception of K'Harma, who is both, vapid and egocentric, but disarmingly sweet) twits. Even Elvis Costello(playing himself) is a twit. He wants to write a musical based on the life of Britney Spears for K'Harma(this is a thinly-veiled reference to Costello's work with Wendy James(ex-Transvision Vamp), whom he wrote an entire album for(1993's "Now Ain't the Time For Your Tears"). When Les meets the man who wrote "Allison" at a party, he goes into the bathroom to wash his hands. Les comes clean. The bathroom becomes the honesty room. Mirror time. The mirror doesn't lie. He's not a "licensed professional", after all; he's a paparazzi, just like all the rest. Without any pretenses, when Les points his camera at a subject, he uses it as a weapon. He will use it again.… Full Review »
  2. JayH.
    6
    6.5/10. Very good story, the characters have depth and the performances are silid and well done, especially Steve Buscemi. fine writing and direction, very entertaining.… Full Review »
  3. ChristineF.
    9
    I really enjoyed “Delirious”. While I read one person categorize the film as a “comedy”, I think it was more of a drama with little bits of comedy thrown in to the mix. It stars Steve Buscemi, Alison Lohman, Michael Pitt and Gina Gershon. While Steve Buscemi does a lot of work with writer/director Tom DiCillio, I was most surprised to see Gina Gershon in the film. She is very pretty, played her role very well and has gained a lot of notoriety as of late for her appearances on shows like “Rescue Me” and “Psyche”. The film explores Les’ (Steve Buscemi) life and career as a paparazzi member. I thought this was interesting on its own because of the premise. Too often in films, members of the paparazzi are simply there, like wallpaper, around celebrities. I liked that this film was looking at a normal guy in the paparazzi. Throughout the film, Les becomes friends with Toby (Michael Pitt) who works as Les’ assistant in exchange for a place to stay (or a closet to stay in). Toby is homeless and looking to make it as an actor. He gets his chance when he meets and falls in love with K’harma (this gets him on tv initially) and meets with Gina Gershon’s casting director character. I thought there were a lot of love complications going on and that this was powerful on its own, but not nearly as compelling as what drove Les, how he viewed himself, etc. Overall, the movie was well done. The acting was fairly strong and I thought the film was thought provoking.… Full Review »
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