Celebrity

As Woody Allen is too old for the lead, Kenneth Branagh literally steps into his shoes and does such an effective job at playing Woody that he must have watched every Allen movie at least six times. The film is hilarious but deep--like his best films. It explores our obsession with celebrities and the media's obsession with them, and I wonder how much "acting" Leonardo DiCaprio did for this film. But the more I thought about it afterwards, the more I realized how sad the movie is at its core--the word "help" being written in the sky may be what Allen is thinking--is this what we have become? So obsessed with fortune and fame that we literally prostitute ourselves and become someone we aren't (i.e. Judy Davis' character)?

The movie seems more timely now than in 1998. Americans seem to be more interested in what Paris Hilton does on TV, or what J-Lo and Affleck are up to, than what's going on in the world. "Celebrity" nails it, and like Deconstructing Harry, does it in a rather vulgar manner. But you have to wonder how much of this is based on real events (again, I cite Di Caprio). This was the second movie (after 2 Days in the Valley) that made me aware of the statuesque beauty of Charlize Theron. I didn't think she could act worth a hoot (that opinion recently changed), but she sure looked like a rich runway model to me. This movie is one of my favorite Woody films of the '90s, and one of his most underrated. It's also visually beautiful, in black & white that recalls the photography of Manhattan.

One of the most brilliant Woody Allen's 90s' pictures, such a mockery of the "beautiful people" with some traces of a romantic comedy and some reflexions about couple troubles made in Woody. But there's an objection and that's Kenneth Brannagh. He's a great actor (no doubt about it) but in "Celebrity" you can't help thinking that he's imitating the character that Woody should've played. It's quite clear that Woody wrote this for himself, but he was too old to play a man that conquers Winona Ryder or Famke Janssen.

Last but not least, what about Judy Davis?? God, she's magnificent, one of the best actresses ever, and that scene with the prostitute is totally hilarious. Woody should've married her instead of Mia 30 years ago!!

So, if Woody would've played the role that eventually played Brannagh this could've been one of his best works. But Brannagh is not Woody, and that's noticeable.

*My rate: 7/10

A lot of the reviews have said that this film is one of the weaker recent Woody Allen movies, but I actually thought it was his best since Husbands and Wives. It's much more subtle but every bit as scathing as Deconstructing Harry. Everyone says Woody's films just aggrandize himself, but I feel that his latest few have been exercises in self-loathing.

Certain people (in these very pages) have felt that one is supposed to sympathize with the Branagh character. Certain people, we must remember, are on crack. Branagh plays a low-life louse who gives the word narcissim a whole new meaning. He is looking to revitalize his life by entering the world of celebrities. He is contrasted with his ex-wife (the always amazing Judy Davis... who doesn't she do more films?) who is also looking to change her life, but not necessarily by becoming famous. She does become famous, and near the end she says what I think is the key line: "I've become the kind of person I've always detested, but I'm happier." My friend and I had an argument later about what the film was saying: a) that Judy has given up on seriousness and meaning by becoming a celebrity, but now she's happier, or b) that the "entertainment products" that these people turn out don't matter at all, and that if one can find personal happiness (Judy eventually becomes much more social and comfortable with people) by doing them, then that's great. I don't know, but this is a far more interesting treatise on finding happiness than the dreary "Happiness" was.

This is also the funniest Allen film in years, with two total laugh-out-loud lines which I won't spoil here.

Overall, I felt the celebrity part, and all the walk-ons we not at all the focus of this movie, it just uses that world as a backdrop. This film is also very sweet and real, with the scene in which Judy Davis visits a psychic being one of the most intimate and touching I've seen.

One last thing, it's fun to see a Woody Allen film in New York City, because you can watch the audience trying to identify all the places where the scenes are set.

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A lot of people like this film - and indeed, I suppose it could be argued that there are a number of things that work in its favour - however, for me, it is easily the worst Woody Allen film that I have so far seen, and I own 28 of them. Call it a matter of personal taste, but the main problem I had with the film was the complete lack of interest in any of the characters or the situations that they find themselves in; with Allen creating a shambolic, Fellini inspired freak show filled with grossly caricatured pantomime players parading from one scene to the next with no thought or feeling. When you think about the ideas behind the film, this particular presentation becomes almost genius (albeit, unintentionally so) and should have really led to some wicked satire on the nature of celebrity and the lengths that people will go to in order to maintain it. Unfortunately however, the film fails to build on this premise and becomes disengaging; largely because it has absolutely nothing of interest to say!

I suppose if it was simply Allen's intention to truly capture the sense of vapid, empty malaise of celebrity life in a way that created a similar feeling for even the most inattentive of viewers, then he certainly succeeded with this; creating a film in which pretentious, narcissistic characters wander from one improbable scenario to the next, continually complaining about the dissatisfaction of their personal lives and relationships, whilst never quite seeming to realise that their actual problems are really a result of their own repugnant, self-infatuated personalities. One of his more recent films, Melinda and Melinda (2004) suffered from some similar problems - with the idea of affluent, well-to-do characters complaining about how hard life is from the comfort of their Park Avenue penthouses really crippling the identifiable elements of the drama - but even then, Allen was able to offer at least some level of technical invention and an approach to the story that was interesting and unique. Here, the style is generic and unadventurous as we follow Branagh's self-infatuated and highly deluded writer/journalist and part time Allen-caricature from one assignment to the next, usually resulting in a comic seduction of an incredibly attractive woman, and a lot of talk about his supposedly great, unfinished novel.

Unsurprisingly, the lack of focus and Allen's inability to put his ideas into context or character, results in a difficult film that is sometimes "OK", and other times woefully embarrassing. I understand Allen's ultimate intention and what he was trying to achieve with both the film and the characters, but for the episodic plot to really work he had to offer us some original insights, moments of imagination and a series of larger than life characters that were truly iconic. There's nothing here that is as unique, exciting and exotic as something like Nights of Cabiria (1957) or La dolce vita (1960), two films that Celebrity (1998) seems most heavily indebted to; with the characters generally trying to outdo one another in terms of bland pontification, snobbery and self-delusion. Certainly, I can understand why some viewers would enjoy the film - the cinematography is impeccable, there are some definite laugh out loud moments and some fine supporting performances from the talented and eclectic cast - however, there's nothing here that hasn't already been said before in far greater films such as Manhattan (1979), Stardust Memories (1980) and Husbands and Wives (1992), to name just three.

Both Branagh and Davis are terrible as the divorced couple central to the narrative, with both actors employing the usual quirks and ticks of Allen's regular on-screen persona in their own delivery and mannerisms, with Branagh in particular trying to "act" the part of Woody Allen, albeit, with none of the comic timing or genuine feeling of self-deprecation. Davis is just as bad - woefully over-the-top and shouting her lines in a way that was at least fitting when she played the same part in Husbands and Wives - whilst the scene in which her character and Bebe Neuwirth's prostitute perform Fellatio on a pair of bananas is cringe-worthy and really beneath a filmmaker of Allen's great stature. Many of the other members of the cast are fine however, including Charlize Theron as a seductive supermodel, Leonardo DiCaprio as the typically hedonistic Hollywood trouble-maker, Joe Mantegna as Davis' sensitive love-interest and Famke Janssen as one of Branagh's numerous bedroom companions; but ultimately the lack of an interesting central character is a real handicap that severely affects the impact of the film.

Ten years on, and Celebrity still remains one of Allen's most difficult and polarising works, and a close relation to Deconstructing Harry (1997) in terms of dissenting critical opinion amongst long term fans and admirers. For me, it is simply a film that I didn't enjoy on any level; whilst the people that did like it probably liked it for the reasons that I failed to connect with it. I suppose there are some individual factors that are interesting enough in their own right, however, for me it simply felt like Allen repeating himself; going over the same old themes and scenarios that he'd already expressed in far greater films and creating something sluggish and lazy. I'd still rank him as possibly the greatest living American filmmaker, simply off the strength of the films that he produced in the 70's and 80's, but this is surely a middling, or perhaps even mediocre effort by anyone's standards?

The problem with Woody Allen is that he has made great films, a lot, and that expectations for his work are always high. With 'Celebrity' it was not different and therefore it is a little disappointing. If another writer director would have made this film I think I would have liked it better. Maybe that is strange, to compare it with his other films simply happens.

In 'Celebrity' we follow Kenneth Branagh who plays Woody Allen, although he is named Lee Simon. A movie without Woody Allen himself is nice, but with a character that basically is Allen, why not play it yourself? On the other hand, Branagh does a terrific job. We see how Branagh divorces his wife and after that we have single episodes of his life where he meets women, tries to make them his, fails or succeeds, only to enter the next episode. At the same time we follow his ex-wife, Robin (Judy Davis), who meets a new man Tony (Joe Mantegna) and does settle.

Branagh is a writer. He writes a novel, has written two novels with bad reviews and now he finished a screenplay. In the episodes he tries to offer his script or new novel to people who can change it into a movie or book. We have Melanie Griffith and Leonardo DiCaprio as spoiled actors, Famke Janssen as a girl who really likes him and could help get his story into a book, Winona Ryder as the girl he has some real chemistry with and Charlize Theron as a supermodel.

The problem is that every episode feels like an episode instead of everything combined as a movie. The Theron and DiCaprio episodes are great, the Winona Ryder episode is sweet, the others are pretty standard. The intercuts of the ex-wife's life are pretty good as well, but still feel as single episodes.

Although the film as a whole is not that great there are enough moments to enjoy it. You will not be bored. The black and white photography looks terrific and that is something that makes the movie more pleasant. It is well acted and of course directed, but for a Woody Allen comedy it is not my first choice.