The hook, so-to-speak, of this entrant into America's flourishing independent scene, is that almost the entire film is played out by people on the phone. Surprisingly, given its curiously low-key nature, it makes for a surprisingly likeable affair.
The film centres around six New Yorkers whose busy but strangely insular lives cause them to keep in touch with the outside world by telephoning each other (on an almost hourly basis). Their continual web of conversation weaves a myriad of stories. Dates are arranged and broken, a couple who've never met conduct a phone sex relationship that would make even Spike Lee blush, and everybody makes excuses not to see everybody else, even avoiding the funeral of one comrade whose attachment to her handset leads to a sticky end. Meanwhile, the titular Denise (Ubach) dials her way into the circle as an expectant single mother impregnated by a sperm donation from one of the phone-happy sextet.
It's engaging (no pun intended) enough, but any attempt to make a serious point about the 90s cold reliance on technology is blown away in favour of a barrage of sitcom fluff. And given that these folk are all leading such busy lifestyles, it comes as something of a surprise that they spend every night home alone ensconced in phone chat (in fact, how they became acquainted at all remains a mystery).
On the plus side, though, the script provides plenty of genuine wit and wisdom, a sensibly slender running time prevents the joke from wearing thin and there are some inspired moments of originality. Also, considering that they are, for the majority of the time, just talking into plastic receivers, the cast work wonders in bringing the concept to life. Bob Hoskins would be proud.