Celebrity

Rating:
Summary: Not just one of Allen's worst movies...
Review: But one of the worst, most disjointed, unintelligent & unfunny movies ever made. Allen seems to make films for therapy, definitely not for art. There's something desperately - well, desperate about all his films, but a few have enough humor & insight to garner him a reputation as a film-maker. Just watch the banana simulation here to see how desperate & unfunny this one gets.

Rating:
Summary: Another Masterpiece for Allen
Review: Celebrity is a great movie. It isn't quite as brilliant as Deconstructing Harry, but few movies are. Woody Allen is one of the best filmmakers living today. I will not say anything about the plot because it's best for the viewer to descover it for themselves. I will say that Rider and DeCaprio are great in it.

Rating:
Summary: If Branagh can play Hamlet then he can play Woody Allen
Review: Despite the title and the parade of characters who can be labeled as such, Woody Allen's 1998 film "Celebrity" is, like most of his films, about the peculiar ability of a man to destroy the important interpersonal relationships in his life. What makes "Celebrity" different is that this time around the Woody Allen part is not played by Allen, but by Kenneth Branagh. The actor, who has been nominated for an Oscar for playing Shakespeare on the silver screen, decides to play the Woody Allen character in "Celebrity" just like Woody Allen. Really. The dialogue is all written in Allen's distinctive voice, but instead of it being said by a small, wiry, balding Jewish comedian it is being said by a large, robust, wavy-haired Irish actor with the EXACT same cadences and inflections. Chances are that by the end of this film you still will not believe your ears on this one.

Now back to the film.

This time around the self-destructive main character is named Lee Simon (Branagh), a journalist and would be writer of a novel or screenplay if he can just get it done. Having cast aside his wife Robin (Judy Davis), Simon goes looking for love with most of the women who cross his path, from a movie star (Melanie Griffith) and a supermodel (a sizzling Charlize Theron) to an actress who plays bit parts (Wynona Ryder). Like Allen's script for this film, Lee's life is going around in circles. He cannot articulate to Robin the reason why he is leaving her any more than he can fully explain any of his actions as he moves from one woman to the next. As we are told at both the beginning and the end of the film, Lee Simon is a man who needs help. The punch line to the cosmic joke is that after Lee's departure plunges her into the depths of despair, Robin's life moves onward and upward because realizing there are gaps in her life she tries to fill them and improve herself, even if it means turning to the experience Nina (Bebe Neuwrith) for some interesting life lessons. By the end of the film she Robin is on top of her game and Lee is back where he started, and we realize this is something we have seen from Allen before and seen done better as well.

So, why did Allen simply not play himself? Because Woody Allen looks like Woody Allen. Today he looks more like an older Woody Allen (see "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion"). To put it bluntly, no supermodel is going to be interested in him. Thus we have the transposition of the Allen persona into the body of Branagh, who brings a manliness to the comic's neurotic mannerisms. When Branagh drives an antique Austin-Martin as a way of helping him pick up chicks, it sends a different signal than if it were Allen behind the wheel of that same car (besides, we know from "Annie Hall" that Woody can't drive). The choice of Branagh and his decision to play the part this way has a significance that extends beyond the idea that it is just some sort of a joke. There are two many sex scenes in this film for Allen to carried them off seriously. More importantly, if the nebbish that Allen has created over four decades of film can look like Branagh, then that is certainly something for us to think about.

Rating:
Summary: DVD Edition is so poor !
Review: Even if this movie deserves 4-5 stars (lots of jokes, funny situations, and despite what other comments says, really good acting) I can only give it two because of DVD edition. No alternative language, no subtitles, no bonus material, nothing. You'd get the same on TV. What's the point ? Is it soooo expensive to try to get some quality ? Hello Miramax, is anybody alive ?

Rating:
Summary: Cynical? of course. He should know.
Review: First, let me explain my one line review. I've seen people's comments on this movie, stating he was way off on the way the average citizen views celebrities, and the way they act. These people must get their impressions of celebrities entirely from the self serving fanzines and official studio web sites. Who are you going to believe concerning the inner workings of the world of fame? A long time director, who has pehaps daily contact with the Hollywood "elite", or people who work 9 to 5 jobs and have no closer contact with celebrities than "People" magazine? Anyway. The movie was brilliant and powerful, especially the ending. I thought the humor was wonderfully hysterical. I found myself rolling with laughter, as I do with the humorous moments in all his films. Especially powerful and provocative were the scenes between Kenneth Branagh and Winona Ryder. I have known women like her character, hopelessly messed up and self destructive, destroying people in their path, yet you can't seem to help trying to save them from themselves, and falling in love with them. One sore point. I found Mr. Branagh's Wooody imitation annoying and pointless. I am not bothered by Woody's speaking style or mannerisms, but that's him. They are a part of who he is. On anyone else they are effectatious window dressing. Kenneth Branagh should have played it straight. I would have enjoyed his performance much more, and I feel it would have turned what I feel to be a four star film into a five star one.

Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: Funny, honest, well acted(especially Judy Davis and Kenneth Branagh)with a really strong cast... This was my first Allen movie and I surely wasn't expecting something like this... By the way it doesn't have proper DVD Extras exept for subtitles(Just to let you know)...

Rating:
Summary: How's he do it?
Review: How come Woody gets the bread to make a dog like this? Is it some kind of religious affiliation? How about giving the dough to 5 talented unknowns instead, let Woody make 1 out of 5, that's better than his batting average. Nice imitation of Woody by Kenny, though. Also, how come there are never any REAL people in Woody's movies, just FAMOUS ACTORS impersonating cardboard spastics? He always has good taste in music of course...

Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile for Leonardo only
Review: I agree with the reviewer below regarding Leonardo DiCaprio's performance in "Celebrity". He was electric in the movie, and I thought he should have received an Oscar nomination. If more people saw this movie, or if it was more respected, he would have been nominated. The movie came alive when he came on and dies when he leaves. Look for Adrian Grenier ("Adventures Of Sebastien Cole") as a member of Leo's posse.

Rating:
Summary: hey some of us liked it
Review: I am only writing a review because I see that a lot of people didn't like Celebrity. I rather enjoyed it. I thought there were some hilarious scenes, Judy Davis is terrific, and I even thought Branagh did a fair job.

Rating:
Summary: This movie had me laughing!
Review: I am surprised that most people did not like this film. One person even described it as the "worst movie ever"?!? I would definitely have to disagree. "Celebrity" reminds me of one of my favorite movies, "The Big Lebowski" by the Coen Brothers. Like that film, the story revolves around the lives of these pathetic characters. You can't help but feel sorry for them, but laugh at the same time. In fact, this is one of my favorite Woody Allen films. A lot of people think this is unlike a typical Woody Allen film. Perhaps I don't like his traditional work as much. I also enjoyed Allen's "Anything Else", but many fans did not. It appears most people either like his early work or his later work.