REVIEW: Simone misses the mark
For a movie that had the opportunity to be something different, to make a bold statement and possibly change the views of a select few, “S1m0ne” misses the mark completely.
It was dead from the very first frame. When a movie is slow starting out, it tends to stay that way until the credits roll. With “S1m0ne”, it was every bit the case.
True, this was supposed to be a satire on the whole movie industry and the way stars act when filming. True, this was supposed to be a satire about the powers that be in the major studios that produce the films that light the screens across the nation. True, this was supposed to be a satire about the gullibility of the movie-going masses and how easily they are swayed by what they are told is good or bad, right or wrong.
This hollow flick never delivers on these promises. The satire is flat and unmotivated. The comic timing is dull and fails to bring laughter.
One of the major problems with the film is the lack of credibility in the story and for many of the characters. It is much like a child who is told he can be anything when he grows up and then ends up emptying garbage cans the rest of his life because he just didn’t want to extend the effort.
Al Pacino stars as Viktor Taransky, a failing director who seeks a better time in Hollywood and longs for the days when the stars were putty in the director’s hands. Failing to find his ideal, he turns to technology to solve his problems.
Pacino is solid from the beginning. The only truly amazing part of this film is his ability to show the distress and decay of the human spirit and drive as his obsessions overtake him. Though the film does not compare to his other work, he delivers a powerful performance worth a knob.
As for Simone herself, this is perhaps the final irony in this assortment of misfires. The virtual actress who is supposed to replace the real thing is, well, the real thing.
Canadian model Rachel Roberts provides the stunning body and face for the virtual actress. Most of the scenes are actual footage of her, proving that Viktor’s statement is only too true, “I can’t work with a fake.”
The character Simone has it all – beauty, grace, style and the love of art. The film S1m0ne does not.
Justin Berry is doing his second bachelor in theater. Comments can be sent to jsberry@cc.usu.edu.