A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Simone

Date Viewed: 9/1/02

Details:

Al Pacino (Viktor Taransky)

Catherine Keener (Elaine Christian)

Evan Rachel Wood (Lainey Christian)

Winona Ryder (Nicola Anders)

Rachel Roberts (Simone)

Jeff Williams (The Man in the Suit)

Director: Andrew Niccol

Score: +

The Review: Comedy with satiric undertones; curious send-up of what it takes to make a star in Hollywood.

Pacino is an arty film director whose ditzy, self-centered lead star (Ryder) quits / gets fired before the film wraps. Pacino himself then gets fired from the studio by his ex-wife (Keener), and wanders around in exile, waiting for lightning to strike. And it does, in the form of an eccentric computer genius who gives him the tool to create (literally) a star (virtually). So he does. His troubles begin in earnest when he releases the film with a stunning, but unknown actress named Simone (or if you prefer the posterized typography: s1m0ne). Everyone, just everyone, wants to meet her!

This is not artificial intelligence in the sense of A.I., but a very well-executed human image simulator programmed with an alluring blonde.

Amusing.

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