Delusion (1991)

A man who has just embezzled money from his company is driving through the Nevada desert. He picks up a pretty girl and her seemingly goofy boyfriend. The girl is a Las Vegas showgirl and ... See full summary »

Director:

Carl Colpaert

Writers:

Carl Colpaert, Kurt Voss

Stars:

Jim Metzler, Jennifer Rubin, Kyle Secor

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jim Metzler	...	George O'Brien
Jennifer Rubin	...	Patti (as Jennifer Rubin-LaBoe)
Kyle Secor	...	Chevy
Jerry Orbach	...	Larry
Robert Costanzo	...	Myron Sales
Tracey Walter	...	Bus Ticket Cashier
Barbara Alyn Woods	...	Julie
Amanda Horan Kennedy	...	Carly (as Barbra Horan)
Angelina Fiordellisi	...	Biker Girl (as Angelina Fiordelissi)
Raymond Singer	...	Jim
Tommy Redmond Hicks	...	Cop
Kevin West	...	Thug #1
Darryl Cox	...	Thug #2
Bob McCracken	...	Thug #3
Pat Reilly	...	Thug #4

Storyline

A man who has just embezzled money from his company is driving through the Nevada desert. He picks up a pretty girl and her seemingly goofy boyfriend. The girl is a Las Vegas showgirl and the boyfriend turns out to be a professional killer, and he has no intention of letting the motorist finish the trip.

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Plot Keywords:

boyfriend girlfriend relationship | professional murderer | las vegas | showgirl | money | 

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Taglines:

She only wanted love. But money's better than nothing.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 June 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mirage

Filming Locations:

Amargosa Valley, Nevada, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$233,488

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cineville

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Feature directorial debut of Carl Colpaert.

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Crazy Credits

Yet Another Producer - Harold Julbe

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Soundtracks

From Rusholme With Love
Music by Barry Adamson
Featuring Seamus Beaghen and Tito Heradia
Courtesy of Mute Records Ltd. © 1989
Published by Dying Art Ltd

User Reviews

One of the greatest dramas ever put on film

A film is adequate when it entertains. It is good if you want to watch it more than once. And a great movie is one that creates unforgettable characters and a story that leaves you with the feeling that, at some level, you have been transformed by it.

"Delusion" goes even farther. Even as the story begins, it manages to give the viewer an ominous sense of impending danger. The plot unfolds quickly, taking a yuppie-ish embezzler named George O'Brien (played to perfection by Jim Metzler) on a lonely stretch of highway leading from Southern California to Reno, Nevada. There he encounters a luckless couple who have wrecked their car. Agreeing to give them a ride to the next town, O'Brien soon realizes that he is in bad company.

The way in which the personalities of the two riders are unveiled shows the true genius of this film. The pair consists of Chevy, a totally ruthless sociopath and hired gun (Kyle Secor) and Patty, a troubled Las Vegas showgirl and part-time prostitute (Jennifer Rubin). Every word, every gesture, every visual image and facial expression in this film is carefully nuanced to give depth to these mysterious and threatening characters.

Secor's Chevy is at once pretentious, arrogant and vulnerable, a genuinely intriguing and complex villain. But Rubin as Patty is even more of an enigma.

A tragic background is hinted in Patty's chilling reaction to violence. She comes across as vulgar in a sensuous way, intelligent but ill-bred, the consummate wounded survivor of a hard life. Yet, on a different level, she shows courage and cleverness. Rubin is absolutely amazing in this role. She brings uncommon realism to that "girl from the wrong side of the tracks" who finds herself in an abusive and shallow relationship but never succumbs to it. Her life is clearly shaped by lack of options, yet when faced with choices, she responds in surprising but entirely believable fashion.

This film could never have developed its remarkable depth without the breathtakingly surreal scenery of Death Valley and the awesome emptiness in which the story unfolds. The spectacular beauty of the location and its eerie remoteness are the perfect backdrop for a film that is, at is core, a harrowing, entrancing tale about society's misfits.

Over the years, "Delusion" has developed a well-deserved cult following. It is a shame that this film has not yet been made available on DVD. From start to finish, it never veers off track, never misses a beat. It is plausible and intelligent and utterly mesmerizing. They just don't make them any better than this.