Review of Celebrity (1998) by Harry W — 31 Jan 2014

I was drawn to Celebrity as it was a Woody Allen film and it starred Winona Ryder, and it's as simple as that.

Celebrity doesn't seem to have story or structure to it. It seems to be a cluttered collaboration of generic Woody Allen film elements without a smart story or any insight in the dynamics. It's just a lot of cry setting without a good story to it at all, and so it's more like a grayscale version of an unfunny Woody Allen sketch comedy show which benefits from none of his greatest talents as a writer or director.

Celebrity defies its potential and ends up being a misguided film that seems as if it were made by a Woody Allen wannabe. Unfortunately, the only spirit of that comes into play in the cast while leaving the actual film itself excessively scattered. Some may find it to be sporadically entertaining, but I failed to find the appeal or understand what Woody Allen was doing with his story. I wouldn't think he knew it himself, or why he was doing the whole film in black and white. The style of the film and the story structure are both strange, and whatever the story is gets lost in a convoluted method of storytelling.

The actors prove to be the only real quality of Celebrity.

Kenneth Branaugh manages to deliver a fine lead performance. Cast in the part of playing a role Woody Allen usually writes for himself, Kenneth Branaugh manages to actively bring his own charm into the lead role which downplays him from the high scale characters he portrays in films such as his Shakespearian adaptations and puts him in the context of a simple little dramedy. He manages to create the stereotypical Woody Allen mannerisms very finely and makes himself a nice lead for the film.

Winona Ryder also manages to provide a fine supporting role by using her natural charm in most scenes as well as her talent for conveying an emotional aggression in others. She makes a good part in the film.

Leonardo DiCaprio shows early on just what he is all about in Celebrity. While his part is minor, his impact in his dramatic role is seriously major and he proves to play a satisfying and successful presence in the story. He really does an excellent job.

Melanie Griffith also manages to do her part which makes Celebrity that little bit better, as does Charlize Theron.

But despite a very talented cast, Celebrity is simply an empty pile of recycled Woody Allen elements.