Lisa Picard Is Famous

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.

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.

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

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!

I wasn't looking forward to seeing Griffin Dunne's film from the start, especially knowing that it was a "mockumentary" about fame. As well, I was quite skeptical about the use of the DV format to give the film a realistic look. However, I was pleasantly surprised...at least for the first half of the film. Famous is one of those movies that doesn't know how to end. It's very funny - the "Wheat Chex" gag is hilarious! And I have to give credit to anyone who humorously uses a Charlie Sheen cameo (Spike Jonze included). Unfortunately, the film runs out of steam and the comedic possibilities are wasted. The cast is solid, and the film's subversive feel must be praised. For Dunne, this could be the direction he could be looking for in terms of further projects. Alas, with this project, he is treading the familiar ground of "Spinal Tap" and "Waiting for Guffman," two highly superior projects that set the standard for all mockumentaries on the same subject.