Celebrity

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Celebrity

R

1998

1h 53m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

45%

Tomatometer

38 Reviews

42%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

The career and personal life of writer Lee (Kenneth Branagh) are at a standstill, so he divorces his bashful wife, Robin (Judy Davis), and dives into a new job as an entertainment journalist. His assignments take him to the swankiest corners of Manhattan, but as he jumps from one lavish party to another and engages in numerous empty romances, he starts to doubt the worth of his work. Meanwhile, top TV producer Tony (Joe Mantegna) falls for Robin and introduces her to the world of celebrity.

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Critics Consensus

Entertaining, but too scattered.

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Xan Brooks

Independent (UK)

Mar 20, 2019

2/5

Unfortunately in Celebrity, Woody Allen's line of attack is compromised by his being at least half in love with the very glitterati he sets out to savage.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Jan 1, 2000

2.5/4

It's smart and quirky enough that we're not bored, but we're not much delighted, either.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Dec 4, 2022

3.5/4

The last of four films shot for Allen by cinematographer Sven Nyqvist, Celebrity looks gorgeous in rich monochromatic photography that lends all the pretty faces onscreen a kind of candid tabloid reality.

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Peggy Fernandez

Santa Cruz Sentinel

Mar 25, 2020

C

There are few insights into what makes a celebrity or why people are drawn to them in this movie. But there is one about the writer/director, himself. Believe in your own myth too long, [and]people are going to start to realize that it isn't real.

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PJ Nabarro

Patrick Nabarro

Dec 8, 2018

3/5

Indicative of a time when Allen had a degree of vivacity and ingenuity in his work before it went increasingly down the turgid, tourist-porn route in Europe.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Jun 14, 2011

C

technically, the b/w film is impressive, but the tale is shallow and diffuse and has little to say about our media- saturated life and obsession with fame.

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Huntin P

@PaxVobiscum80 Sep 18, 2026

Celebrity was a crushing disappointment upon its release. It is not impossible that, with the passing of the decades, or maybe half a century, its reputation may rise. There are good things in it, no question. When it was released it was hamstrung by the performances of its two leading actors. Judy Davis does her usual neurotic character, but such is not really worthy of top billing. Branagh, however, was apparently trying to mimic the verbal mannerisms of Woody himself, and people found it horribly distracting. Yet maybe he ought to be forgiven, since Woody has always been better at writing women than writing for men. Celebrity is a rather confusing movie, with too many characters, too many faces, and not enough discernible satire. Yet there are wonderful moments, such as the sequence at Elaine's restaurant, or Lee's (Branagh) seducing Charlize Theron's supermodel, and then making up to Winona Ryder's aspiring actress. There's also young DiCaprio to admire, as well as the B/W glamour.

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Malcolm B.

@kempston1 Mar 12, 2026

Great fun movie. Cinematography reminiscent of Citizen Caine. It's that good!

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Maarit L

@Komedienne Dec 1, 2025

I don’t care that others criticize this movie. I love it. Celebrity is in my Top 10 Woody Allen films. I love Fellini and I love Woody, so it’s obvious that I like this movie very much.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Oct 4, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Brad S. R

@RT07389644 Apr 5, 2025

Not bad, but at its best Celebrity seems cobbled together from parts of better Woody Allen films.

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bao s

@RT77741678 Jun 19, 2024

Great film. I loved Kenneth Branagh doing his best Woody.

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Woody Allen

Director

Hank Azaria

David

Kenneth Branagh

Lee Simon

Judy Davis

Robin Simon

Leonardo DiCaprio

Brandon Darrow

Melanie Griffith

Nicole Oliver

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Synopsis

The career and personal life of writer Lee (Kenneth Branagh) are at a standstill, so he divorces his bashful wife, Robin (Judy Davis), and dives into a new job as an entertainment journalist. His assignments take him to the swankiest corners of Manhattan, but as he jumps from one lavish party to another and engages in numerous empty romances, he starts to doubt the worth of his work. Meanwhile, top TV producer Tony (Joe Mantegna) falls for Robin and introduces her to the world of celebrity.

Director: Woody Allen
Producer: Jean Doumanian
Screenwriter: Woody Allen
Distributor: Miramax Films, Laurenfilm S.A., EuropaCorp, Filmes Lusomundo, Bac Films
Production Co: Sweetland Films
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 20, 1998, Wide
Release Date (DVD): Feb 23, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.0M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Surround, Mono

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