Lisa Picard Is Famous

Lisa Picard Is Famous is a film that never achieves greatness, but comes close to deconstructing that nebulous and intriguing world of fame. Numerous movies have been made on this subject, but Lisa Picard Is Famous is the first that follows an actress on the verge of stardom, and where the "impartial" documentarian (Griffin Dunne) makes sure she gets there. This breakdown of observer and subject is the central theme in this movie, reflecting the generalized tendency of the average person's inability to resist the temptations of fame and stardom. Watching this movie and the antics of Dunne and Picard, I wondered who wanted to be more famous, the director who wants respectability, or the actress who just wants work and money. This dynamic of observer and subject works well to inject laughs and insight to the phenomenon of fame, including some memorable encounters with the likes of Mira Sorvino, Sandra Bullock, and Spike Lee (Buck Henry appears to make wry observances, including this gem: the root word "fame" is derived from "famine"). One example is the hilarious scene where Picard, in all seriousness, compares her appearance with famous celebrities, and the director complements the absurdist moment by adding their faces on the screen, inviting the audience to made the ridiculous comparisons. Without giving away the ending, it was of great interest to see that no matter how much energy was expended on Picard's career by Dunne, chance plays an unexpectent and important role to derail Dunne's self-serving needs; proving that fame may be more of a random act, than a self-charted destiny.

I watched this movie 2 days ago and while watching it, I thought it was pretty good. It is a very funny look at fame and being on the cusp of fame and about a very particular type of person who becomes an actor. It is a "mockumentary", which is a genre that can be a bit dicey. In the hands of Christopher Guest (Spinal Tap, Waiting For Guffman and Best In Show), it can be taken to the level of brilliance, but then again, there is always "Drop Dead Gorgeous". Anyway, as time goes by, I can't get the movie out of my head. The actress (and writer), Laura Kirk, playing Lisa Picard just nails this character and makes her pathetic, oddly lovable and annoying all at once. I know people like her, just so completely obliviously self obsessed that they don't even realize it. And her relationship with her best friend, a gay man who is performing a HORRIBLE one man show about gay bashing and homophobia (that he has not experienced, but can relate to), is just perfect; full of support, jealousy and competition. I keep thinking of certain scenes (which I won't reveal here), that make me want to watch again. It is definately not a perfect movie, but it was such a pleasant surprise, that I want to keep telling people about it!

Lisa Picard Is Famous is a clever mockumentary directed by Griffin Dunne that follows an aspiring actress while she strives for stardom. The humor is extremely subtle and dry, and I found myself actually laughing out loud a whole lot more than I would during your average Hollywood-industrialized comedy. It is well acted, well executed and definitely worth watching just to catch some of the many absolutely hilarious celebrity cameos. (Most notably Spike Lee, who looks like he is about to crack up at any second). Before this viewing, I only had a passing knowledge of Griffin Dunne's work and after this biting film I plan to keep an eye out for his future productions.

--Shelly

This film is brilliant and it accurately portrays the lives of many struggling NYC actors, from the fact that talented actors are passed up for models for jobs, how do you try to stay in your craft, how no one really cares about their "survival job" and how many actors don't have an off switch.

This film was brilliant, funny, heartwarming and a real gem.

Griffin Dunne (son of famous scribe, Dominick Dunne) seems bent on becoming famous himself. Why I do believe he'd go as far as to star in a film about a talking penis. Dunne is just one of those people who seems obsessed with that which eludes him, fame. With only one break out performance in 1981's American Werewolf in London, Dunne is simply on the fringe of success.

This is the problem with Lisa Picard is Famous.

Like Dunne's career, it is idle, has little to say and is almost -- just a hair more and it could have been -- with more time, maybe. And there you have it. Mr. Dunne's career mirrors this movie.

Chris Guest's mockumentaries, "Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and the now legendary "Spinal Tap" is what Dunne and his co-conspirators were aiming for. Sadly, the comedy in the film is forced. The all ad-lib dialog might have worked if DeWolf and Kirk were stronger performers. But if you'll note, Kirk's only offering since this film is the flower seller in ill-fated Time Machine" and DeWolf has done nothing since.

To pull off such a crazy stunt as this, the film needed a new direction, a fresh idea on the old theme. It lacks spontaneity. It revels in stereotype. And all those friends of Dunne and Sorvino (she produced it) who made guest appearances during the film discussing fame, didn't reveal anything we didn't already know. Furthermore, their cameos felt forced and a bit of an intrusion to the main story line.

The bottom line with films such as these (mockumentaries) is liking the characters. I did not like Lisa and utterly hated the "stereotyped to death" gay actor. With this said, the only person I felt for was her boyfriend, whose name I didn't catch. Lastly, I say to the "famous people" exploited in the film, "Shame on you for associating yourselves in this fashion."