Celebrity

Nice to know he's there. Woody Allan does it again. It's funny. It's great. It's real. Actors act. Kenneth Branagh does a great Woody Allan. It's a love story with a twist. Big issues rounded up in the circle of celebrity. How do we choose our idols? Why do we worship them? And how can we become celebrity? It's all done with Altmania, but it's everything Prêt-à-Porter isn't. If you're a Woody Allan fan and you haven't seen this one yet there is something to look forward to...

CELEBRITY (1998) ***1/2 The biggest irony in CELEBRITY is how long it took to be released in Brazil: two years. This is not a common thing here, but it has also happened to DECONSTRUCTING HARRY, SWEET AND LOWDOWN and now SMALL TIME CROOKS. It seems that they have something against Woody Allen and his fans, but in fact it is a problem among the distributors. However, the wait was worthy: CELEBRITY is a great film. It received bad reviews in the US for no apparent reason- here in Brazil the reviews were almost universally positive. Maybe the critics are tired of Woody Allen, maybe they just didn't get his point. The truth is that CELEBRITY is no ANNIE HALL, MANHATTAN, HANNAH AND HER SISTERS or CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS, but is a great film overall. The story is about a divorced couple- Lee and Robin Simon (Kenneth Branagh and Judy Davis), who try to find their position in the society. Lee is a journalist who starts to write about art, so he gets closer to celebrities. He gets involved with lots of women- the futile actress Nicole Oliver (Melanie Griffith) who belongs to her husband only down the neck, a supermodel (Charlize Theron) with an "erotic failure", a cold woman (Famke Janssen) who wants to live with him, and a second rate actress (Winona Ryder) who is not his "obscure object of desire" as he thinks. He is between finish writing his novel (after the bad reviews for his first novel) and trying to sell a script- when he meets another futile star (Leonardo DiCaprio). In resume, his life is a mess with no way-back. In the meantime, his ex-wife Robin, an English teacher, ironically gets more luck than him: she meets a TV producer (Joe Mantegna), who thinks she has a future as a TV presenter. With a good story in hands, Allen turns it into an acid, funny film. But you know the laughs in his films aren't gratuitous- they come naturally, or depending on the way you get into the scene. And they are also bitter (remember the subtitles scene in ANNIE HALL)- this taste of humor is not for everyone. The funniest, best scene is when the prostitute teaches Davis' character how to do a blow-job, using a banana. As usual, Allen takes great performances from the whole cast. Kenneth Branagh has been criticized for imitating Woody Allen too much, but I think he did a great job. We already know Judy Davis (especially), Joe Mantegna and Winona Ryder are terrific, but it is a miracle what Allen can do with Melanie Griffith, Leonardo Di Caprio and Charlize Theron, usually bland performers. Charlize is the most peculiar character and delivers a great and funny performance. The main detail of the film is the use of black-and-white. This is not the first time Allen uses that (MANHATTAN, STARDUST MEMORIES, SHADOWS AND FOG), but it is almost a character in this picture- it shows a world that is even more sufocating than ours. With that, he makes an acid critic about our society, that turns superficial, futile people into instant celebrities. This is not new, of course, but here these people are also victims of the sufocating society. If a society can be interpreted by who it chooses to celebrate, it is worse than it seems to be. Allen commits some mistakes here and there with his critic, but you don't find many films like this out there- clever, funny, bitter and realistic. Remember the HELP sign on the air...

Woody Allen's imagination is endless. Once again he manages to captivate with this very smart and subtle tale of interrelated stories while delivering a very strong punch of social critique. If you are an Allen's fan you will like it, if not... don't bother. This is only a movie for the initiated.

Woody Allen is certainly a celebrity if attention from the tabloids is any judge and well qualified to write a film about Celebrity. He lives openly in Manhattan amongst the rich yuppies he loves to write about and has attracted plenty of tabloid attention to do with his private life. Whether he has succeeded in presenting a film about the concept of celebrity is debatable though because this film throws itself in probably a dozen directions, not really leaving familiar Allen territory. His films usually feature himself playing a character very like himself or a character who is recognisably Woody Allen. He's portrayed as a dithering, well meaning but self serving sophisticate who's friends and lovers spar their way through self induced minor crises of the heart. Allen's films usually contain a myriad of set pieces, often centered about religious guilt and a fear of commitment, and they're nearly always very funny. In Celebrity the English master actor Kenneth Branagh has taken the Woody Allen part playing a journalist Lee Simon with terrific energy and authenticity. Lee is facing a mid life crisis. He confesses infidelities to his wife Robin (Australia's Judy Davis - in another wonderful performance) and then bounces from one disappointment with women and with his career to the next. He wants to write a novel but can't get together the courage. He no doubt fears he lacks the talent. Robin on the other hand has a classic female Woody Allen female break down but then haltingly blossoms when Tony (Joe Mantegna) falls unreservedly in love with her. But can she cope even with this? In fact Woody Allen films are so much about lack of confidence and are seemingly so autobiographical that it's a wonder Allen hasn't lost his nerve in real life and ended up not being able to face Central Park or a movie studio at all. It's a wonder he's not permanently in therapy (perhaps he is!) The secret must lie with the generosity and concern he feels for the rich cocaine and diamond social set he shares. His humor is warm and never cruel, although women may take issue with this. There are some particularly demeaning (but not nasty) scenes for the women in Celebrity although humiliation isn't confined to the women. The men are often equally lost and at the mercy of their uncertainties and lack of clear direction in life. Oh to be so spoilt! Woody Allen films are often about the nearly idle rich and more importantly about the selfish generation. Love affairs always seem to be temporary affairs, even if they last years, ready to make way for a new model. Viewers, as often happens in a Woody Allen film, can play the star spotting game. As well as Kenneth Branagh and Judy Davis and Joe Mantegna there's Leonardo DiCaprio, Gretchen Mol,, Famke Jansen, Winona Ryder, Bebe Neuwirth, and Charlize Theron to recognise. The wit is often sharp and very funny with solid stabs being made at Catholic idolatry, the media, supercilious film directors and spoilt brat stars. There's a fine moment of two some, hilarious, some touching. The Woody Allen moaning becomes a bit of a whine once or twice but Celebrity wins hands down with plenty of fine, fun dialogue and beautifully realised photography and a final meekly despairing plea from the scared to be committed.

. . . of Woody Allen. Ever. Watched (as much of) "Celebrity" (as a could stand) last night. Ugh! It's painful to watch the evermore narcisistic Allen playing himself in his movies, but I felt like he was taking his self-love to entirely new dimensions by directing another actor to play Woody while Woody watched. And Branagh as Woody was just downright painful. And the blatant, pointless, gratuitous oral sex scenes . . . . I walked out when Melanie Griffith was giving Branagh a Bill-logic *, then passed through again on my way to the kitchen to see Bebe Neuwirth choking on a banana after showing Judy Davis (who I normally adore, but who seems to play the same shrill/hysterical character are ALL Woody characters that way?] in each of her Woody films) how to fellate it. Were there others? Dunno . . . . couldn't watch. This was an ugly movie by an ugly man, clearly riding his reputation. Blech! There will be no more Woody in my house when I'm here, unless I decide to rent "Sleeper" at some point for nostalgia's sake . . .

As a general rule, I won't comment on a movie that I did not sit all the way through. So I forced myself to endure the pain of watching this film beginning to end just so I can say with honest sincerity: To me, this movie was awful...but maybe I just don't get this kind of rambling self-absorbed cynicism posing as cleverness. I must just be dumb. If you liked this film...you'll love Robert Altman's Pret-a-Porte.

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

One of Woody Allen's worst films, a brilliant defense for anyone who considers Allen out-of-touch, self-indulgent, and irrelevant. A storyless mishmash of tired, unfunny gags, Woody has absolutely nothing to say and takes forever to say it (uncharacteristic for Allen, who's films have been the last bastion of auteur-brevity, the movie is a trying two hours-plus). Sure, the movie looks dynamite, and sure it's got a great cast trying its best, but can anyone honestly tell me that this movie's humor wasn't musty, it's narrative wasn't rambling, it's attempts at satire weren't annoyingly weak? A real disappointment, especially following last year's wonderfully vulgar, honest, and funny "Deconstructing Harry." This has to be the worst fall-winter film season in years.

Judged against other movies, Celebrity rates higher than it does when judged against Woody Allen movies. In other words, the director's consistent pace and huge body of work virtually begs for critics to keep ranking each of Allen's films against past efforts and so on. Celebrity is not as good as Deconstructing Harry or Everyone Says I Love You (to cite just two of Allen's recent pictures), but it still bears the hallmarks of Allen's success: great ensemble work, witty and intelligent writing, amusing set-pieces, and excellent photography. Kenneth Branagh fills in as the Woody character, and channels Allen's vocal tics and mannerisms to the point of perfection or distraction, depending on one's point of view. Judy Davis, a welcome sight in any movie, captures Branagh's ex-wife perfectly. The remainder of the cast aids in Allen's dissection of modern media celebrity, and does what it can with this good, but not great, material.

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. --- Check out website devoted to bad and cheesy movies: www.cinemademerde.com