S1m0ne

Viktor Taransky (Al Pacino) is a washed-up director. The beautiful Nicola (Winona Ryder), has just walked off the set of his last film, and the head of the studio--who also happens to be his ex-wife (Catherine Keener)--has just cancelled his contract. Just as a virtually hopeless Taransky is left wondering what is wrong with Hollywood, inventor Hank Aleno (Elias Koteas) presents him with a bombshell: a virtual actress. Created from computer code, Hank's invention--deemed S1M0NE from the abbreviated Simulation 1 and morphed into Simone for the masses--is beautiful, talented, and breathtakingly real. Soon, Taransky is editing Simone's image into his films and creating masterpieces. He devises elaborate schemes to make Simone appear to be human, all the while masterminding her every move. As Simone becomes an international superstar, a bewildered Taransky is left to wonder how real Simone actually is and how much power she has over him. But his attempts to sabotage her career only drag him further into the media frenzy that his creation attracts. Written and directed by Andrew Niccol (GATTACA), S1M0NE proves to be an interesting and insightful look at the movie business and the star-hungry media.