Simone Movie Review 2002

Part Hollywood send-up and part child of Hollywood, pic shows pitfalls of using gimmicks to sell movies and uses the same gimmick to sell the movie itself. Perfect Tinseltown logic. Pacino is Viktor, a has-been filmmaker, who becomes a high tech Pygmalian when he creates an actress from scratch after inheriting a mad inventor's computer program. Solving his recent dilemma involving a temperamental star (Ryder), Viktor's digital thesp, Simone (short for simulated one) becomes a smash hit and revives his career in the process. Of course, the rabid tabloid press and public expect to see a real actress, not a synthespian, creating a host of publicity problems. Writer/director/producer Niccol is in familiar techno-wizardry territory here, but doesn't match his previous efforts.

Distribution

New Line Home Video, 116 N. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048, Phone: (310)854-5811, Fax: (310)854-1824, URL: http://www.newline.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 117 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Behind the Scenes, Technology--Rampant, Showbiz Dramas, At the Movies

Screenplay

Andrew Niccol

Cast

Al Pacino, Catherine Keener, Jay Mohr, Jason Schwartzman, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Stanley Anderson, Evan Rachel Wood, Daniel von Bargen, Rachel Roberts, Elias Koteas, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos

Cinematography

Edward Lachman

Director

Andrew Niccol

Music

Carter Burwell

Other

Winona Ryder, John Pritchett, Paul Rubell, Sarah Knowles, Elisabetta Beraldo, Jan Roelfs

Producer

Andrew Niccol, New Line Cinema