Art for art's sake

Rating: 1/10 (29 July 2002)

I have never seen a film so self-conscious and vain about itself. So let me guess, it raises questions about self and ego while hilariously lampooning the egos of stars and obsession with immortality.
No, not really. It's a laboured effort that tries too desperately hard to be weird, and exists only to give critics and armchair philosophers an excuse to feel smug about themselves or laugh at the film industry in-jokes. If you want existentialism, stick to Ingmar Bergman or even David Cronenberg.
But wait, it has moments. Charlie Sheen playing himself is actually quite funny. The cast generally are good, but unlikable, which means you don't care what happens to them or the story.
Don't let it kid you. There's no intellectualism and no satire here.