S1m0ne

Visitor Comments

Ian Douglas: Andrew Niccol, the writer and director, is the guy behind Gattaca and The Truman Show. This time around, his movie may be just go over the head of some people. At the apparent level, it is about how technology might be able to produce computer-animated actors (see Final Fantasy) to make real movie stars redundant. What it is *really* about, however, is how the marketing machines from Hollywood and the record industry are able to ''manufacture'' stars who in some cases are barely more real than a computer-generated one, and make them into huge international successes. The most telling scene is where Simone, trying to wreck her image, does a ''bad girl'' act live on national television, and the media and public just lap it up. In their eyes, this angel can do no evil... Overseas reviews have generally slated this movie, in particular the script, but I think perhaps those reviewers were concentrating too much on the ''obvious'' plot and not enough on the less-obvious one. The script does indeed have flaws (when *will* Hollywood get a clue about computers and computer viruses?) and even Pacino seems unsure of his lines at times, like he can't believe he is in this role, but in general I found the movie worthwhile. And Simone -- a real-life Canadian model -- is real easy on the eye...