Stars:
Al Pacino, Catherine Keener, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jay Mohr, Elias Koteas, Winona
Ryder, Jason Schwartzman, and Rachel Roberts
Writer:
Andrew Niccol
Director:
Andrew Niccol
Feature
length: 118 minutes
Extras:
Deleted Scenes With Direct Access From The Film, Featurettes, Teaser and
Theatrical Trailer
DVD-ROM
Features: Script-To-Screen, The Real Simone Websites, InterActual Enhanced
Languages:
English DTS-ES Digital 6.1 Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital EX 5.1
Surround Sound, and Dolby Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions
Packaging:
Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 18
Sound:
DTS-ES Digital 6.1 Theatrical Surround Sound, Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround
Sound, and Dolby Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2002/DVD Release: 2003
Theatrical
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Home
Video Distributor: New Line Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: PG-13
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Writer
and Director Andrew Niccol whose credits include the screenplay for “The
Truman Show” and his directorial debut “Gattaca” takes aim again at the
nature of human perceptions with the comedy satire that also has a touch of
sci-fi entitled “Simone.” Al Pacino plays a filmmaker whose career is on a
downswing after his lead actress walks off the set and her lawyers see to it
that it is cheaper for the studio to cut their losses than to try and release
the feature with the footage they have already shot. Fired by the studio
executive who also happens to be his ex-wife, our out of work Director is
approached by a dieing computer genius that later leaves to him his life’s
work, the world’s first virtual Actress. Taking on a life of her own, soon her
cult of personality overshadows the man who made her a worldwide star.
“Simone”
is brilliant because it presents us with the ultimate computer generated image
and shows us how appearances often count more than reality while taking a
somewhat satirical look at how that line blurs and the nature of celebrity
obsession as well as in one way or another commenting how everyone plays a role
in life, but not everyone gets an Oscar® for it. Niccol is definitely among the
best Writers and Directors of his generation, even if he has not scored the
multimillion-dollar blockbuster yet. His scripts are smart and he knows how to
take something that would sound cliché and present it in a realistic manner
with a dose of dark wit that makes his screenplays and films seem more original.
The cast is excellent with Pacino sharing the screen generously with the
ensemble that includes Catherine Keener, Jay Mohr, Elias Koteas, Winona Ryder,
and Jason Schwartzman. Rachel Roberts is a good sport for putting up with all of
the technical effects that bring her virtual character to life.
“Simone”
has been released by DVD-Video by New Line Home Entertainment as a standard
edition with a beautiful anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) aspect ratio
presentation on the dual layered side and a panned and scanned (1.33:1)
presentation on the single layered side of the DVD-14. The widescreen
presentation is excellent with solid colors, nice contrasts, and no anomalies.
There is a super fine grain visible in some of the darker scenes on the panned
and scanned version, but otherwise this presentation also has a great picture
quality. The DTS and Dolby Digital Soundtracks have been optimized for home
theater systems and DVD viewing and the widescreen version features a knockout
English DTS-ES Digital 6.1 Theatrical Surround Soundtrack as well as an English
Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. Both are very well mixed, but the DTS
has a superior digital quality discreet mix that also benefits from an edgier
sound. An English Dolby Surround Soundtrack is also included along with English
Captions and Closed Captions for the hearing impaired as options.
On
the widescreen version one has to activate the English Captions first in the
interactive menus before watching the film while the deleted and extended scenes
and the panned and scanned version allow one to enable or disable the captions
while viewing the film. The panned and scanned version on the single layered
side features only the English Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround Soundtrack and
Dolby Surround Soundtrack with standard interactive still frame menus while the
dual layered side with the widescreen version contains all of the extra features
as well as the above mentioned DTS-ES listening option and fully animated menus
with full motions scene selections and animated transitions. The interactive
menus on both sides are easy to navigate.
One
can view the deleted scenes while watching the film and press the enter button
on their remote when the word “Simone” appears on the bottom right hand
corner of the screen and thus go to the edited scene and then be returned back
to where the theatrical cut left off. Unfortunately this is not a longer version
of the film via seamless branching, but rather an opportunity to see the scenes
where they would have occurred had they not been edited out of the film. These
deleted scenes can also be viewed individually with feature presentation
widescreen (2.35:1) picture quality and full Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
and optional English Captions. The 19 deleted and extended scenes are detailed
as follows: “How Hank Got On The Lot” (1:03), “Synthespian” (: 39),
Sunrise Premiere (1:20), “Sunrise Uncut” (2:56), “Simone’s Sag Card”
(: 39), “Introducing Max Sayer” (1:38), “A Fan” (1:24), “The Red
Carpet” (1:30), “Eternity Forever Uncut” (1:03), “What It Means”
(1:33), “Exclusive Footage” (1:50), “Map To Simone” (: 17), “Moving
Violation” (: 37), “Simone’s Mother” (2:44), “Truth In Trash” (:
47), “The Critic” (1:57), “Everything’s Fake” (: 32), “Send No
Flowers” (: 31), and “My Baby!” (: 56). Also be sure to watch the film
through the credits for an additional bonus scene.
Two
featurettes focusing on the nature of the story and effects with cast, crew, and
filmmaker interviews are included and are entitled respectively “Cyber
Stardom” (7:41), and “Simulating Simone” (6:52). The theatrical teaser
(1:20) and trailer (2:16) are presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) aspect
ratios with full English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtracks too.
Windows
based PC users with a DVD-ROM drive will also have access to InterActual
enhanced features such as the Script-To-Screen option, which allows one to view
the screenplay on their monitor while watching the film or to print out excerpts
or the entire script as well as Internet links to “The Real Simone Websites”
with wallpaper, icons, and other download options that include additional
trailers from the website.
Like
many recent New Line Entertainment DVD releases, “Simone” comes pleasantly
packaged in a keep case and not the dreaded snap case. As a whole this is a
great standard edition that lives up to the high quality consumers have come to
expect from New Line Home Entertainment. “Simone” is available on DVD-Video
now.
©
Copyright 2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.