Shot in his trademark black and white footage, Woody Allen's latest film, Celebrity distinguishes itself from the remainder of the film-maker's catalog by the bitter cynicism which it embodies. With this movie, Allen reaches new heights of loathing not only for our culture but for himself as well.
Celebrity is a non-stop assault on our sensibilities.
By the time the film reaches its conclusion, the river of blood is wide and just about knee deep. But let me say straight off that, though trashed by many critics to date, Celebrity is by no means a poor movie. It's just that with Woody Allen the expectations are about as high as the heavens and no less lofty. Essentially about the quest for two of life's most elusive trophies, love and fame, the film is thought provoking, blessed with stunning performances by a cast of fine actors and actresses, and laced with typical Woody humor. One thing that was somewhat distracting about the film was Kenneth Branagh's performance as journalist Lee Simon.