Celebrity (1998)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Alice S

  
  Can't really describe what's good or bad b/c there's so much of that self-deprecating pretentiousness that is Woody Allen's genius...or downfall. Branagh's American accent is excellent though. Halfway through the movie, I remembered he's British.

• Steven C

  
  One of Woody Allen's more unusual films. "Celebrity" may seem meandering for about 3/4 of it's runtime, but it's true intentions are finally revealed in its last half our. The black and white cinematography may be a bit much, but the copious master shots and… More
  One of Woody Allen's more unusual films. "Celebrity" may seem meandering for about 3/4 of it's runtime, but it's true intentions are finally revealed in its last half our. The black and white cinematography may be a bit much, but the copious master shots and endless monologues more than make up for it. Spot on performances by Judy Davis, Charlize Theron and Leonardo DiCaprio are the highlights of it's huge cast. Not perfect by any means but it does have it's moments, just like every Woody Allen film.

• Anthony L

  
  It?s got a great cast but no one delivers a fantastic performance or seem to be able to gel together on screen. A film about big egos tarnished by big egos!

• Jennifer X

  
  It's a decent effort by the Allen, but it's nevertheless a landmark movie because after this I only have one (!) movie left until I have seen Woody's entire directing repertoire. I'll watch anything that Judy Davis breathes in, and she makes this movie that much… More
  It's a decent effort by the Allen, but it's nevertheless a landmark movie because after this I only have one (!) movie left until I have seen Woody's entire directing repertoire. I'll watch anything that Judy Davis breathes in, and she makes this movie that much more palatable. It boasts a cast crammed full of famous names, and most of their performances I could describe as solid: Charlize is gorgeous, Leo is dependable, Noni is amazing, Branagh is a natural mimic, Montegna is the one comic spot in the film. Easily forgettable, but not a bad or boring movie to be watching.

• Candy R

  
  Woody Allen movie about a mix of celebrity lifestyles. Leo makes a cameo appearance as a crazed movie star into drugs and women. I trust that this is not a reflection of Leo's self.

• Michael G

  
  I saw it only once and I remember being not thrilled at all. First, it was nothing short of strange seeing Kenneth Branagh playing Woody Allen. It lost me for the last half but grabbed me again in a way for the last 5 minutes that ALMOST made up the all the boredom. Seeing DiCaprio… More
  I saw it only once and I remember being not thrilled at all. First, it was nothing short of strange seeing Kenneth Branagh playing Woody Allen. It lost me for the last half but grabbed me again in a way for the last 5 minutes that ALMOST made up the all the boredom. Seeing DiCaprio parody himself and just looking at Winona Ryder were nice, but it's so incredibly easy to forget this movie exists.

• Joey N

  
  LOADED with stars, Celebrity is an entertaining film with a very nice visual appeal (crisp black and white). The structure is a little bizzare. Essentially it's a series of sketches whose characters mostly disappear after their portions are finished. But honestly, I just went… More
  LOADED with stars, Celebrity is an entertaining film with a very nice visual appeal (crisp black and white). The structure is a little bizzare. Essentially it's a series of sketches whose characters mostly disappear after their portions are finished. But honestly, I just went with it. It's kind of refreshing to not have to pay too much attention to plotting and pace and just enjoy the comedy as it comes. From what I've seen of her (Husbands and Wives, and TV's Judy Garland biopic), Judy Davis is prolly the quintessential nerorotic woman. The scene with her and a banana is the best piece of slap stick I've seen in a long time. She has this role down pat. Kenneth Branagh is downright grating at points though, doing a way-too-good Woody Allen impression. Charlize Theron is unbelievably sexy and Leonardo DiCaprio and Winona Ryder shine. A worthy, if not a masterpiece, Woody Allen effort.

• Mike T

  
  This is an underrated film. Although the focus is slightly scattered, it's written by Woody Allen, and that means quality. A little more cynical than other Allen films, and very funny, this is definitely worth a look. Kenneth Branagh does an all right job playing a role written… More
  This is an underrated film. Although the focus is slightly scattered, it's written by Woody Allen, and that means quality. A little more cynical than other Allen films, and very funny, this is definitely worth a look. Kenneth Branagh does an all right job playing a role written for Woody Allen in the '70s, and the rest of the cast is fantastic. As a sidenote, Leonardo DiCaprio's cameo is downright amazing.

• Daniel P

  
  <i>"That's Papadakis, the director of the film we're gonna see. He's very arty, pretentious, one of those assholes who shoots all his films in black and white. Tom Dale - big star. He's in New York filming an adaptation of a sequel to a remake. Oh and… More
  <i>"That's Papadakis, the director of the film we're gonna see. He's very arty, pretentious, one of those assholes who shoots all his films in black and white. Tom Dale - big star. He's in New York filming an adaptation of a sequel to a remake. Oh and getting out of the elevator I see there's a famous critic... he used to hate every movie. And then he married a young, big-bosomed woman and now he loves every movie."</i> <p>A Woody Allen picture portraying a look into the world of celebrity seen mostly from the perspective of two characters - a restless writer and a former school teacher. It has some very funny lines, a few of Allen's trademark squirm-inducing reality-check scenes, and a touch of romance. <p>Kenneth Branagh essentially impersonates Woody Allen and it's an odd fit that doesn't always work. Far more successful is Judy Davis, who brings some emotional truth to her role as Robin, grappling with a life that's suddenly giving her opportunities she doesn't feel she deserves. The impressive supporting cast includes Winona Ryder, who is really rather superb as a struggling actress (and there's a brilliantly self-reflexive scene where she complains about her character's contradictions and then immediately after becomes out of character herself), Famke Janssen and Bebe Neuwirth. There are also some memorable appearances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Melanie Griffith, Debra Messing and Charlize Theron. <p>Overall though, the film never really adds up to the some of its parts - the film is entertaining but when it's over there's nothing much to think about, and there's a lack of 'soul', something which Woody Allen's pictures rarely suffer from.

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