Director: Andrew Niccol
Cast: Al Pacino, Rachel Roberts, Catherine Keener, Winona Ryder, Jay Mohr
Distributor: Roadshow
Classification: PG
Running Time: 113 Minutes

Al Pacino stars in Simone as Viktor Taransky, a film director whose last three films have flopped. On the set of his latest small-budget film, his star (Winona Ryder) backs out of the project whilst in the middle of production. During this time Taransky is visited by a computer genius that had developed a flawless digital actor. Initially skeptical, Taranksy succumbs to desperation and uses the ‘synthespian’, Simone (Rachel Roberts), in place of his actor. Upon the movie’s release the public is astounded with the performance of Simone and the movie and its star become an overnight sensation, despite the fact no one has ever seen or met her besides Taransky. Fearing his job, Taransky decides to continue the charade and uses Simone in all of his films. As the public becomes infatuated with her, Taransky parades Simone to the public via satellite interviews and eventually a singing career.

Directed and written by Andrew Niccol, whose previous credits include The Truman Show and Gattaca, Simone had a lot to live up to. The movie does explore some very interesting and timely themes, however it lacked the focus to sustain the ideas. Niccol seemed unsure of whether he should play on the comic aspects of a director trying to prove the digital actor’s existence, or emphasise the drama and strain of continuing the farce. Running far too long, Simone slipped into drawn-out and clichéd sequences, including an arena show where a hologram of Simone was used on stage. The paparazzi also seemed a little too trusting of a star they had never seen and Taransky’s elaborate explanations. Surely they would investigate her further?

That said, Simone was well acted and directed. Al Pacino was terrific as the burnt-out director Viktor Taransky. It was good to see Pacino in a more comedic role, although he occasionally looked disinterested (and who can blame him). Rachel Roberts, in her debut, was also excellent as Simone. Her detached and mechanical approach really accentuated her role as the digital actor. Small parts by Winona Ryder and Jay Mohr also helped breathe life into the film. Niccol’s use of cinematography was also superb, as anyone who has seen Gattaca can attest too. He has used expansive shots of somewhat claustrophobic sets to emphasise the undertones of loneliness and isolation.

The computer-generated effects were satisfactory, although much more could have been done with the character of Simone. Rachel Roberts did look the part, however it would have been interesting to see her digitised further and to look at the process a little more, everything seemed too easy. It would have been an interesting idea to actually use a digital actor, a case of life imitating art.

The special features on the DVD are pretty standard. There are a couple of interesting documentaries on the simulation of Simone as well as the themes of the movie. The documentaries actually explore the ideas more concisely than the movie. Deleted scenes and trailers round up the usual suspects.

Simone could have been a quite brilliant comment on the role of digital technology, however an under-realised story hindered these themes. Considering the caliber of the cast and crew it is a shame that it wasn’t nearly as good as it could have been. Limited special features make this a very average film and DVD.

Special features: Deleted Scenes, Cyber Stardom Documentary, Simulating Simone-FX Documentary, Theatrical Trailer.

Rating: