Chain of Desire

Great dramatic little movie. I didn't know it was that difficult to find CHAIN OF DESIRE until I read about it here. I watched it about 3 years ago. When it aired on late night, it was labelled as an erotic thriller but turned out to be as a great drama about urban couples. Malcom Mc Dowall delivers a fine performance, I couldn't believe that Alex from A Clockwork Orange was in this movie. Linda Fiorentino is as sexy and beautiful as always, and her acting is convincing.

Highly recommended, try to search for it, and buy it if you can. 7/10.

It's too bad this little seen gem of a film is almost impossible to rent

-- it's a real winner. From it's sexy and provocative style, to its

pulsating score, this is a film made with real commitment and passion.

Chain of Desire is life and love on the steamy streets of New York, told

through couples who lead us to other couples. It's a modern day La

Ronde, but it never feels like a rip off -- it's original, romantic and

downright hot. Linda Fiorntino is, for once in her career, vulnerable

and sympathetic. Director Lopez has drawn beautifully nuanced

performances from all his cast. And what a cast! Some of the freshest

faces, that even 10 years later hold up. Anyone that has ever spent a

hot summer night in New York will love this film. It's a love letter to

the city that never sleeps, but more importantly, it's a testament to

the spirit and permissivness of late 80's and the people who survived

it. A beautiful, sexy and haunting film that I saw at least five times

in a theatre. Everyone I dragged to it loved it as much as I did. A

sensual masterpiece. ....

I got talked into seeing this movie years ago by some pretentious friends, wasn't all that impressed by it, and insulted it gratuitously on the walk home from the theater. It's not very well-acted, the plot is incomprehensible inasmuch as it even exists, and the sex scenes, explicit and implicit, are nowhere near as titillating as the title or promotion would suggest. But somehow I remember this movie with near-perfect clarity over a decade later. Why? The structure is fascinating -- I'd never seen a narrative structured as a progression of random encounters. And even if no scene is particularly compelling and no character is especially distinctive, the movie manages to be thought-provoking. Since every scene is obviously intended to depict a seduction, you start to wonder about the nature of attraction and power relationships. On a cinematic level, New York looks pretty, Linda Fiorentino is hot, the gay boys are all handsomely lit, and Malcolm McDowell is an embarrassment to the art of acting. Stop now before you hurt someone else.

Chain of Desire captures New York City and modern urban America in a powerfully truthful way, years before others portrayed sex in the big apple. It is not so much about sensual desire but the hopes and dreams of each character and how only other people can help to forward these dreams. Meanwhile as characters pursue their dreams the strength of sexuality, sex, perhaps a dark desire or perhaps a gift from heaven descends on the characters caught in a more dangerous time. Today desire is considered wrong.

The film takes you through human drama with reflections of greek comedy and tragedy that touches intense feelings and untamed moments. Linda Fiorentino, now famous but then just becoming known, gives a clear performance magically transforming her character above a torch song singer.

Eyes Wide Shut was also drawn from the same European theater roots as Chain of Desire, but Temi Lopez shows us a realist possible life whereas Kubrick makes a film more unbelievable than 2001. Stylish, seductive, vibrant, provocative, intelligent describe the film.

We all know how important images are as tools of seduction. Or repulsion. With that in mind, as the writer-director of "Chain of Desire", I want to express my dismay at the vulgar ad campaign that was designed for the video release, which makes it look like a cheap soft-porn movie. When it was released theatrically by October Films, the ad was tasteful and enticing. For some reason the people who handled the video took it upon themselves to create a poster that has absolutely nothing to do with the movie, with "actors" that don't even appear in the film. You would never know from this image that the movie was in competition in several important festivals and got very reviews in the main papers. By doing this, the campaign scared away the sophisticated urban public to which the movie would naturally appeal and disappoint the people who rent it thinking they will get some cheap thrills. It must be difficult for the average viewer to imagine the feeling of impotence and frustration a director feels when faced with this kind of distortion. I hope that when the film comes out on DVD the campaign will use the original poster and the film will find its rightful audience.