Judged against other movies, Celebrity rates higher than it does when judged against Woody Allen movies. In other words, the director's consistent pace and huge body of work virtually begs for critics to keep ranking each of Allen's films against past efforts and so on. Celebrity is not as good as Deconstructing Harry or Everyone Says I Love You (to cite just two of Allen's recent pictures), but it still bears the hallmarks of Allen's success: great ensemble work, witty and intelligent writing, amusing set-pieces, and excellent photography. Kenneth Branagh fills in as the Woody character, and channels Allen's vocal tics and mannerisms to the point of perfection or distraction, depending on one's point of view. Judy Davis, a welcome sight in any movie, captures Branagh's ex-wife perfectly. The remainder of the cast aids in Allen's dissection of modern media celebrity, and does what it can with this good, but not great, material.
