Although such an award obviously doesn't really exist, if it did these are the words you would have heard at the 1999 Academy Award Show: "And the Rich Little Oscar for Best Impersonation of Another Actor goes to Kenneth Branagh for "Celebrity."
Yes, the actor best known for his work playing Shakespearean roles is now playing Woody Allen. While this film isn't an autobiography or even a spoof of the well-known actor, writer and director of films such as "Annie Hall" and "Hannah and Her Sisters," "Celebrity" is written and directed by Allen and features Branagh playing what's become the all too familiar, stereotypical Allen character.
All of which means we're "treated" to a stammering, insecure, and womanizing writer who manages to have hordes of beautiful women fall for him before he sabotages their relationships. That, a female counterpart (played by Judy Davis) similarly afflicted with Allen-like neuroses, and the overall retreading of familiar Allen material from his previous films prevents this one from ever reaching the same plateau of insightfulness or comic hilarity often found in his older works.
That's not to say that it doesn't have its moments of funny material -- it does -- but that it feels like the same old Allen schtick only with someone else playing Allen. Minus the glasses, the receding and thinning hairline and the general nerdy aura, Branagh may better fit the "sexy" label that women (or reporters) placed on Allen in his heyday of the 70s and 80s, but his mimicry of him only serves to severely distract the audience from the story.
Nonetheless, Branagh's impersonation is uncanny. Seemingly putting as much effort into playing Allen as he did Hamlet, the thespian has perfectly captured every bumbling nuance and neurotic tick and stammer. While the roles Allen plays in his own films are essentially the same character but in different circumstances, it's not entirely clear why he and Branagh chose to play the central character this way.
Although Allen's presence in front of the camera is nearly the kiss of death nowadays, and he's getting too old to realistically play the part anymore, having Branagh imitate him (instead of playing a new neurotic character) does nothing but constantly remind you of Allen.
The other looming problem is that we've seen this sort of story so many times before that it offers few surprises and suffers from too much familiarity and repetitiveness. We know that Allen, excuse me, Branagh, will lure in the attractive women but manage to ruin their relationships, and along the way he (and we) will meet a variety of characters personified by a bevy of established and rising stars as the story rambles its way from start to finish.
To its credit, the film does speed along from one bit to the next, and some of the supporting roles/characters are well done, if not necessarily agreeable. Of course the post "Titanic" presence of Leonardo DiCaprio will draw the most attention, and he does a decent job playing the unlikeable and highly volatile actor living in the fast lane.
Shot before "Titanic," the role is obviously a spoof of such actors, and with DiCaprio's sudden shot into stardom, the film couldn't have benefitted more from its "lucky" and timely casting. The young star's brief presence midway through the film clearly revs up the production, but once the story's done with his character, we're off to pursue and momentarily highlight the next celebrity.
As in his other films, Allen has a knack for recruiting numerous stars to play his supporting characters and this movie is no exception. Most of the performances are quite good, including the likes of Joe Mantegna as Robin's all but too perfect boyfriend, Winona Ryder as the object of Lee's affection, Famke Janssen as Lee's soon to be dumped girlfriend, and Charlize Theron perfectly playing the bit of a partying supermodel.
Shot in black and white for no apparent reason (other than to throw in a joke where Branagh's character quips about pretentious directors who shoot their films that way), the film's never boring to watch even when considering the retreading of material and themes from past Allen films.
Whether you'll consider it funny depends on your tolerance for Branagh playing Woody Allen, Judy Davis ("Absolute Power") playing a female version of him, and bits of attempted humor, such as an oral sex lesson using fruit, that have already been done before.
Even so, the picture has its share of funny moments and if you're a fan of Allen's films, you'll probably enjoy this release. If you're not, this one will probably grate on your nerves like the rest. Regarding the film's presentation on DVD, it's a disappointment in that the picture doesn't look that great and the mono soundtrack gives everything a rather flat feel. That, coupled with absolutely no supplemental materials means this disc isn't much better than its VHS counterpart.
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