Viewed in
2010
Formats
HD TV
Premise
Steve Buscemi plays a paparazzi who befriends a homeless actor kid, who crosses paths with a female pop star.
Liked
Some of the celebrity society comedy/insight.
Disliked
The unfocused story-telling.
Hated
Motion-sickness.
Thoughts
It's got some good stuff, but meandered too much.
I liked the cast: Steve Buscemi was Buscemi, Michael Pitt was believable as the puppy-eyed kid, Alison Lohman was sexy and likable as the pop star, and there was the forever-gorgeous Gina Gershon.
Some of the comedy was insightful and funny, such as the paparazzi slice of life, Buscemi's disapproving parents, and satire of today's pop culture. One of the funniest moments was two publicists having a political war over the phone on which client gets to walk on the red carpet first. Buscemi's rules of life was a hilarious running gag.
One problem was that it was all over the map, from offbeat buddy comedy, to tender puppy love, to entertainment parody, to the darkness of jealousy. I could not tell what the movie was about, which was the main storyline, and even who the main character was. While I appreciate creativity, such as an unconventional plot arc, but it has got to make sense.
Lastly, I hated getting nauseous from all the hand-held camera work.
There was some funny paparazzi-oriented humor, and good performances, but I wished they used tripods and a better story.
What I would change
Tripods. Tripods. Tripods.
