DALLAS, Jul 29, 2003/ FW/ --- In this age of megastars and computer technology, Simone is both a satire and a comedy worth watching several times over just to see how Hollywood can make fun of itself.

The premise of the movie is simple --- a has-been director Victor Taransky played by Al Pacino is fired by his ex-wife when the star of the movie he is filming, Nicola, 'a supermodel with a SAG card" (played by Wynona Ryder) walks out of the set.

While leaving the studio, a software engineer named Hank whom Taransky met in San Jose 8 years back walk up to him and told him that he has a new star for Taranky's movie.

And Simone was born, or rather 'created.' Simone is short for 'Simulation One', a computer program that Hank created.

Al Pacino was brilliant in this movie. A serious actor, seeing him playing both the straight man and the comedian is just the pinnacle of funny. He might not win an Academy Award on this one, but this project showed another side of Al Pacino which the public has not seen before.

Unbilled Rachel Roberts who played 'Simone', digitally enhanced of course, played a good computer simulation. With a "voice like a young Jane Fonda, the accent of Audrey Hepburn and the grace of Grace Kelly," Simone is 'perfect.'

An actress, an advertising model with a perfume named after her, a singer with Madonna's moves - Simone became an icon. In short, she became what every movie star dreams of.

And though sometimes the film becomes illogical, it is truly a brilliant rendition of a 'what if' scenario.

Yet, if you really think about it, writer-director Andrew Niccol put in the 'illogical' parts intentionally, such as a 5 1/2 floppy disk which does not exist anymore, to show that the movie is NOT REAL.

And that is the brilliance of the movie. It takes us into a ride which we know is not real, yet viewers become part of it because we also want to believe in Simone.

One last thing, when you rent or buy the movie, make sure to watch after the credits. Andrew Niccol put in a little surprise for you.