REVIEW: Simone misses the mark, part II
Sometimes we have to ask ourselves whether the world we know is real or if what we see and experience is just what we are expected to believe is real. This concept was the idea behind the Al Pacino movie “S1m0ne.”
The concept is an interesting one, and was taken a step farther by director Viktor Taransky’s (Pacino) need to control what he created – in this case, his digital actress. He wanted to use Simone as a way to jump-start his career and bring the public eye back to him. Instead, he was forced to maintain the lie she embodied as the world embraced her as the new muse of entertainment.
This was a very schizophrenic film. I had a hard time deciding if it was a comedy, an art flick or a parody. It contained elements of each but never found its focus in any. It alluded to the themes it wished to expound, but refused to really come out and make a statement.
Let me tell you right now that if you hate people ruining the endings of movies for you that you should stop reading this right now.
Perhaps the biggest downfall of the movie is its ending. Throughout the film, we watch as Taransky deals with his guilt at deceiving the world and his need to be vicariously showered with wealth and stardom. After visiting the grave of Simone’s creator, Taransky decides the best he can do is “kill” Simone with a virus. This way he won’t have to tell the world the truth about what he did and he will be able to rid himself of his proverbial Midas touch.
But after being accused of murdering Simone, he is rescued by his daughter and ex-wife who revive Simone’s programming. They tell him they don’t care if he lies as long as they know about it. Therefore, we are left with a family whose only means of togetherness is living a lie. The only conclusion we are left with is man will always fall when given the opportunity to be great.
“S1m0ne” could have been the little film that could. It had the ability to give the world a message about this age where George Lucas can digitally change an actor’s facial expressions he doesn’t like and where actresses rely on “digital makeovers” to make them look good. But it ended up being the little film that disappointed instead.
Jared Sterzer is a senior majoring in Business Information Systems. Comments can be sent to jwsterz@cc.usu.edu