Simone (PG-13, 2002)

Movie director Viktor Taransky (Al Pacino) has had it with actors. When the high-maintenance star of his new movie (Winona Ryder) quits, Viktor finds the perfect substitute to star in his movie. She's perfect because she will do anything he says. And she will do anything he says because she isn't human -- she is a computer simulation living in a hard drive. He can take a little bit of Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Greta Garbo, and a dozen other stars and then program her to do, say, wear, or digitally appear anywhere he wants to. "Simone" causes a sensation, and many people are only too willing to claim that they have met her in order to make themselves seem more important. And Simone's apparent unwillingness to meet with members of the press only adds to the public fascination with her. But Viktor's creation takes over. Viktor rationalizes his deception as just one small step beyond current practice and decries Hollywood's "irrational allegiance to flesh and blood." According to him, "the only real truth is the work."

It is great fun to see Pacino do farce and SIMONE has some deliciously sharp satire. Told that a star is willing to do all her own stunts, including a fall from a plane, a studio executive says, "Shoot it the last day." A radio news broadcast announces that no one is paying attention to world affairs because the Oscar nominations are out. It goes on a little long, but it is one of the better comedies of the summer.

Studio: New Line
Director: Andrew Niccol
Cast: Al Pacino, Catherine Keener, Winona Ryder
Genre: Drama
Run time: 117 minutes
Theatrical release: August 23, 2002
DVD release: January 21, 2003
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: language