Word: allenate
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Those of us who love Woody Allen fall into two camps: those who love Woody the auteur and those who love Woody the stuttering pasty human. As a fanatic member of the latter squadron this film critic acknowledges that what she finds to be the biggest flaw of Celebrity may instead be read by some filmgoers as an overdue relief: dear Woody is nowhere to be seen...
...Allen has cast Kenneth Branagh as Lee Simon, as uncannily familiar whimpering and shaking fellow in his mid-life crisis. Lee is a travel writer who has seen little beyond New England due to his fear of flying. He has just left Robin (Judy Davis), his wife of 16 years, to pursue other things, such as Bryant Park catwalks, movie stars and young struggling actresses...
...film is shot in black and white. Slushy modern day New York has been transformed into a holiday world of sunglasses and starry skies, nightclubs and fast sportscars. In this glamorous atmosphere, it is easy to understand, if not defend, the famous name game that almost every American plays. Allen feeds the audience with pieces of the very game at which he pokes fun by casting real life bignames as fictitious big names...
...time the final credits roll, it is apparent that the sloppy film never builds up to anything more than two hours of very timely silliness. The scenes have no reasons for being where they are; they could easily be reshuffled to produce a different film of similar merit. However, Allen does deserve credit for being more clever than most modern day filmmakers...
Director of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations S. Allen Counter said he was proud that Harvard had made it on to the list but expressed hope that it would soon rise from its current position...