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Writer/director Andrew Niccol's last movie, The Truman Show, depicted a man who unknowingly becomes a celebrity as he grows up in a fake environment. Now Niccol turns things around—Simone is about a fake actress, a digital hoax, who becomes a superstar and a media idol in the real world.

Michael Elliott (Movie Parables) considers the film's implications: "Simone skewers the idol-worshipping insanity which fuels the Hollywood scene. Some of the humor may be too pointed or 'inside' to be appreciated by all but there is much that will be universally enjoyed. There is also a lesson buried beneath the exaggerated humor. An idol does not have to be a 'golden calf' or a religious icon. It is anything that takes up residence in our hearts as the ultimate object of our desire. There's no question that the fanatical devotion often displayed by followers of today's pop star celebrities exceeds reason, reaching a near-religious experience."

Lisa Rice (Movieguide) is impressed: "Simone provides many good laughs, and its gentle poking at the Hollywood system is quite entertaining. The acting is superb, and the writing is tight." But she also tells viewers to beware of "anti-capitalist, politically correct elements." Similarly, Mary Draughon (Preview) raves, "Simone stands out as one of the few recent films aimed at older audiences that can be recommended."

But for Phil Boatwright, the film's non-offensive nature is not necessarily enough. "The film is long and while clean, it's boring … a superficial attempt at making a statement about the superficiality of society … predictable and unmoving."

Steven D. Greydanus (Decent Films) faults the film for depending on an actress to play a digital invention: "A timeless bit of storytelling advice is: 'Show, don't tell.' Actually showing us a truly bleeding-edge synthespian would have made Nichol's point far more effectively than anything his characters might be trying to tell us."

Mainstream critics say Simone doesn't go far enough in its lampoon. Peter Travers (Rolling Stone) says, "Niccol … gets this Hollywood satire off to a rousing start. But the middle flattens, despite Pacino firing on all cylinders. And the end just nose-dives into something silly and, worse, sentimental." Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times) writes, "It's fitfully funny but never really takes off. Out of the corners of our eyes we glimpse the missed opportunities for some real satirical digging. The problem, I think, is that in aiming for too wide an audience, Niccol has made too shallow a picture."

Fantasy and reality clash again in this week's darkest, most troubling entry. In Mark Romanek's highly acclaimed twisted comedy One Hour Photo, Robin Williams earns raves playing Sy, a photo lab employee who becomes obsessed with one of the families whose pictures he regularly prints. As Sy "connects the dots" of their photos with his imagination and presumption, he constructs dangerously false impressions. His suspicions lead him into obsession, and soon he is stalking family members, headed toward shocking intervention.

Anne Navarro (Catholic News) writes, "The film is effectively constructed, keeping the viewer absorbed despite beginning with the ending and telling the story in flashback. As the story builds to its climax, though, it becomes like watching a car wreck—the viewer is unable to keep his eyes off it despite the unpleasantness. However, viewers should be warned that there is a particularly upsetting sexual scene which is stomach-turning, although it does serve to illustrate the depths of Sy's psychological problems which lead to his cruel behavior."

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August (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46