Celebrity (1998)

The Plot of Celebrity: Lee Simon has reached the age of 40. He is a novelist who has published two novels to poor reviews and is working on a third while being a travel journalist. Feeling his life is going nowhere he initiates a divorce from his wife of 16 years and plunges into the world of famous people, getting a job as an entertainment journalist. He also has a screenplay which he is punting to the actors he meets, and fraternises with attractive young women, generally irritating them with his lack of commitment, and his enthusiasm for his classic Aston Martin. Meanwhile his wife, Robin, who has been a schoolteacher, also accidentally becomes a bit of a celebrity herself when a TV producer falls for her, first of all employing her as an assistant and then as a TV presenter is a celebrity chat show.  

Content: There is a bit of sex, just a bit of nudity, some talk of sex, implication of sexual activity taking place and a demonstration of fellatio using bananas. There is a lot of partying with dancing and drinking. Lee takes a supermodel out in his Aston Martin and crashes it. Despite his grovelling disposition he ends up with Bonnie an editor in a publishing house, but typically, is constantly searching for greener pastures. When he breaks up with her she shreds his new novel. Meanwhile Robin also goes through periods of uncertainty and despite walking out on her wedding to the TV producer, eventually marries him and we see her having had a make-over, and possibly having learnt more about sex from a prostitute. She interviews Donald Trump.

A View: Despite the parade of stars this movie lost money, but you can have fun as you identify them. Most of the critics were unenthusiastic about Kenneth Branagh’s performance as a Woody Allen character. One wondered why Woody Allen had not just done the job himself. However, not really being a critic, I quite enjoyed his mimicking of the Allen style, as well as the parade of well known actors. If there was a failing it might have been that Lee does not really have a story, he is a failure to start with and remains one. It could be that there is just not enough plot. But let’s face it, you’ll watch it if you are a Woody Allen fan. Oh, and I forgot, it is shot in black and white.

Fun Fact: It was Leonardo DiCaprio’s follow-up to his part in Titanic.