Image is Everything

Unquestionably, we are entering a digital age in which images can be, will be, and already have been used to deceive our eyes. I'm not simply talking about special effects, but also manipulation of reality, ala Wag the Dog, for political ends.

Despite such futuristic possibilities for the fields of both entertainment and propaganda, we're not quite there yet, and Simone, with its tale of the creation of a "virtual actor" (sometimes referred to by techno-hipsters as "synthespians") only reinforces this point. The technology to create lifelike human simulacra, although certainly near at hand, does not yet exist in a perfected form, and remains unconvincing. There is simply too much nuance in human facial expression and movement for it to be easily replicated.

Notable attempts like Final Fantasy, which was a feature-length stab at digitally simulating humans, had characters that looked fairly convincing when still, but as soon as they moved or spoke looked unquestionably fake. Human body movement can be nicely depicted in computer animation through spectacular recent advances in motion capture technology. But the intricate dance of hundreds of facial muscles moving in concert to produce speech and facial expression create an interplay so subtle that its recreation via computer is a kind of holy grail for special effects artists. Audiences looking at even the most advanced animations of human faces immediately know that something looks wrong. As our daily interactions involve constant "face time," not to mention countless hours spent watching talking heads on various media, we know a real face when we see it.

All of this is a roundabout way to point out that Simone, a portrayal of a synthetic superstar, had to sidestep this process by going about its effects backwards. The title character is played by supermodel Rachel Roberts (former spokesmodel for Biotherm cosmetics), although her name is missing from the film’s credits in order to preserve the conceit that Simone is an artificial construct. Effects-wise, instead of creating a computer simulation that would instantly ring false, the animators instead made Roberts look as if she were an animated construct by giving her unnaturally smooth features and an unearthly glow. It’s a subtle effect that allows audiences to suspend their disbelief enough to swallow the concept.

Beyond such highfalutin technical issues, Simone is a well-executed, thoughtful meditation on the film industry and the cult of celebrity. Writer/director Andrew Niccol specializes in science-fiction concepts that question the nature of reality, and has made his mark with such intelligent projects as The Truman Show and Gattaca.

Although the title character is ostensibly the subject, it is Al Pacino who is clearly the star. Pacino plays Viktor Taransky, a struggling Hollywood director whose new project nearly tanks with the walk-out of his snotty starlet, Nicola Anders (Winona Ryder). Taransky is given a second chance when a dying mad genius wills him a computer hard drive containing his life’s work, a perfect female simulation called Simone. When Taransky digitally inserts Simone into already-filmed scenes to replace Anders, the resulting film is a smash, and resurrects his career. Yet Taransky now has a new problem -- how to cover up the fact that his new media darling isn't real.

Niccol’s clever script is filled with the kind of laughs based on keen insights of both human foibles and the ever-grasping tentacles of our insatiable media/entertainment machine. Throw in snappy performances by Pacino and Elaine Christian as his bottom-line producer and ex-wife, and you've got a winning formula that makes Simone a must-see summer release. It also cements Niccol as a director of movies that are a cut above what usually comes out of Hollywood.