'LISA PICARD' AN UNFUNNY TREK THROUGH FAME.Out-of-work actors and the generally self-absorbed (the two often go hand in hand) should find plenty to love about ``Lisa Picard Is Famous,'' an empty-headed mockumentary about celebrity that makes you appreciate all the more the talents of Christopher Guest For the Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, see . Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born February 5, 1948), is a British/American comedian, actor, writer, director, musician and Grammy Award-winning composer known as Christopher Guest. . Guest, of course, made ``Waiting for Guffman'' (just out on DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. , too), a hilarious look at a group of self-deluded small-town thespians and their sincere efforts to put on a show. ``Guffman'' was full of wonderfully observed characters, rich detail and, most important, a certain empathy for the untalented Adj. 1. untalented - devoid of talent; not gifted talentless gifted, talented - endowed with talent or talents; "a gifted writer" . ``Lisa Picard,'' on the other hand, features just two prominent characters, and we couldn't care less about either of them. Lisa Picard (Laura Kirk) is a bad actress who has gained notoriety by appearing in a racy rac·y adj. rac·i·er, rac·i·est 1. Having a distinctive and characteristic quality or taste. 2. Strong and sharp in flavor or odor; piquant or pungent. 3. Risqué; ribald. 4. television commercial for a breakfast cereal breakfast cereal, a food made from grain, commonly eaten in the morning. The oldest type of cereal, known as porridge or gruel, requires cooking in water or milk. The modern breakfast cereals, however, are entirely precooked and eaten in cold milk. . The movie's fictional filmmaker, Andrew (Griffin Dunne, who also directs) believes Picard is the next big thing, and decides to follow her around just as her 15 minutes of fame are about to begin. Or so he - and Lisa - hopes. Along the way, we meet Lisa's gay friend, Tate (Nat DeWolf), a hack writer who's starring off-off-off Broadway in a one-man show about homophobia, which he performs entirely in his bun-hugging underpants. The movie also has actual famous people like Sandra Bullock, Spike Lee and Charlie Sheen dropping in, smirking through cameos that point out the pathetic, nonfamous nature of Lisa and Tate's existence. The movie's stars, Kirk and DeWolf, also wrote the screenplay, and it's obvious they've funneled many of their experiences as starving actors into the proceedings. Sometimes their barbs barbs the primary, delicate filaments that are given off the shaft of a bird's contour feather. They project from the rachis and bear the barbules. connect, like when Lisa's boss at the temp agency tells us how Lisa overacts when she calls in sick or when Penelope Ann Miller points out how everyone confuses her with Mary Louise Parker and a host of other similar-looking, multinamed actresses. And the footage of Tate emoting as a soap opera extra is quite funny. But Lisa and Tate are both tedious dullards and quickly wear out their welcome, and too many of the movie's jokes are cheap shots and unfunny ones at that. And while it's true untalented people are often rewarded, Tate's career arc more than strains credulity cre·du·li·ty n. A disposition to believe too readily. [Middle English credulite, from Old French, from Latin cr . Even when dealing with a heightened reality, it helps to have some grounding in truth. ``LISA PICARD IS FAMOUS'' (Not rated: language, adult situations) The stars: Laura Kirk, Nat DeWolf. Behind the scenes: Directed by Griffin Dunne. Screenplay by Kirk and DeWolf. Released by First Look Pictures. Running time: Landmark's Nuart Theater, West Los Angeles
Playing: One hour, 27 minutes. Our rating: Two stars CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Laura Kirk and Nat DeWolf appear in (and wrote) ``Lisa Picard Is Famous.'' |
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