A major point of critical contention is Kenneth Branagh’s performance. At 62, Allen felt too old for the role and cast Branagh, who opted to play Lee as a direct imitation of Allen's own stuttering, neurotic persona. Some critics found this distracting, with Variety calling it "annoyingly mannered", while Roger Ebert was more intrigued, noting Branagh did it so carefully "you wonder why Allen didn't just play the character himself".
The film is famous for its 242 speaking roles and "who's who" cameos. It captures stars at pivotal moments in their careers: Celebrity (1998) | Movie Review Celebrity(1998)
The film follows two parallel paths after a divorce: (Kenneth Branagh), a failed novelist turned celebrity journalist, and his ex-wife Robin (Judy Davis), a high-strung schoolteacher who inadvertently stumbles into fame herself. A major point of critical contention is Kenneth
