Celebrity (1998)

Celebrity is an interesting film. Woody Allen and long-time casting director Juliet Taylor assemble an all-star cast (including Leonardo DiCaprio's first screen appearance since Titanic made him the Hollywood Heartthrob de Jour) for a Fellini-esque romp through modern Hollywood. Celebrity consists of several different stories, all tied together by our relunctant protagonist, journalist Lee Simon (Kenneth Branaugh). Branaugh, a fine actor in most cases, is absolutely grating in his dead-on Allen impersonation throughout the film. It is at once distracting and annoying, a performance that takes the audience out of the film time and again. Whether Allen requested that he play the part with Woody's famous stutterings and mannerisms, or whether Branaugh himself came up with the idea, no one really knows - and though you tend to ignore the mimicry by about the halfway point in the film, it is still a definite flaw for the film as a whole. Of course, after both Everyone Says I Love You and Deconstructing Harry, many critics and fans began to comment on Allen's age, relative to the age of his romantic interests. Many were less than thrilled to see Allen make out with Julia Roberts or Elizabeth Shue, and this no doubt influenced Allen's decision to stay behind the camera, even with the role of Lee Simon having been written as a typical Allen-like character. I agree, it would've been rather awful to watch Allen flirt with the likes of Charlize Theron (over 40 years younger), but I doubt it would have been as bad as watching Branaugh, playing Allen, flirting with various models and celebrities. Besides, whenever Branaugh and Judy Davis would share a scene, I longed for the chemistry of Allen and Davis, not Allen a la Branaugh and Davis. But enough with the rants...

Celebrity is a satire, a kind of modern day La Dolce Vita. Allen has crafted a film that is nearly as harsh as Stardust Memories, though not quite as bitter in tone or as great as its predecessor. Allen presents us with several characters, some that actually are celebrities, and many more that wish to be. He treats most of these characters rather terribly in the screenplay, with an obvious lack of respect and admiration for "celebrities" and the notion behind the whole concept of fame. Yet, while the film is often harsh and biting, it is so humerous that you almost overlook the underlying critiques. Judy Davis is sensational, giving us the only character to really root for in the entire film. Famke Jamsen, Melanie Griffith,Charlize Theron, and Joe Magtenga also turn in great work in supporting roles, but it is DiCaprio who steals the show. As the film begins to reach a bit of a slow patch, DiCaprio makes his appearance and literally rejuvinates the entire film (an unfortunate thing for all those angry anti-Titanic fans who wanted "Leo" to fail miserably). He basically plays a parody of himself, or rather of his perceived image, and his prescence and excitement provide an adrenaline shot of sorts to the film.

Celebrity also finds Woody working once again with legendary Bergman cinematographer, Sven Nykvist (Another Woman, Crimes and Misdemeanors). As a result, the camera work in the film is exceptional. Shot in black and white (like Manhattan, Stardust Memories, Zelig, and Broadway Danny Rose before it), the film has a nostalgic, yet modern feel. In one of the film's best lines, a character at a movie screening complains about the pretentious director who makes films in black and white. This line is Celebrity in a microcosm; a self-conscious film that asks us why we choose who we choose for our celebrities and heroes, while at the same time presenting us with some real-life stars, directed by one of the most famous directors alive. It takes a harsh look at fame and celebrity, and what people will do to achieve it. It's not a great film, or a poor film, but it is most definitely an intersting one.

Release Date: November 20, 1998

Domestic Total Gross: $5,078,660

Distributor: Miramax

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