It used to be the case that the image that public-facing celebrities present, may indeed be far from reality. That’s becoming less and less certain with the rise of social media, and the supposed openness of the idols, yet the facts still reminded us that they are as human as the rest of us, with all warts included. In 2003, decided to take his debut in the directing chair to new heights, by producing a cinematic observation of the dark world of obsession, celebrity culture, and the fleeting dividing line of sanity, in I Love Your Work.

When successful actor Gray Evans starts having relationship problems, despite his supposedly halcyon marriage. Gray instead starts to focus on Julia, the wife of a video store operator. In Gary’s eyes, Julia is the perfect woman, but all is not well. As he must deal with issues of stalking, from himself and this mysterious man in the crowd. As the events of the film unfold, Gary’s already fragile grip on reality becomes shattered, as the images on the silver screen and reality merge.

From the offset, this ambitious debut of familiar actor Adam Goldberg in the writing and director’s chair is an ambitiously creative take. The film is a distorted layered depiction of early 2000s stardom, that is filled with intriguing imagery, all wrapped up in a very period-appropriate aesthetic. The paparazzi sequence at the start is a prime example, but there are many others like it. It certainly shows off Goldberg’s talents, and if he does carry on directing, it will be fascinating to watch.

In its depiction of star culture, I Love Your Work does assemble some fun names, including leading man, Giovanni Ribisi is an interesting choice, coming off recently as Phoebe’s brother in Friends, and appearing in Basic. Alongside Christina Ricci, who plays the object of Gary’s eye, Julia. Other talents do lend themselves to this project, names including Vince Vaughn, who is no stranger to the world of satirical depictions of L.A., (among other notable California Residents). Comedy legend Judy Greer, along with Jarred Harris, does manage to bring some murky levity through his performance. Even an appearance from the likes of Elvis Costello to help wrap up this ensemble in a fun subplot.

I Love Your Work is a challenging film that, despite being made in 2003, finally saw the light of day in 2005. It offers a lot to explore and interpret as the debut director gets inventive with his debut take on a media-obsessed zeitgeist. While not exactly the most novel topic, I Love Your Work does breathe some ingenuity into its depictions. As you attempt to put together its many pieces, I Love Your Work will show you that there’s certainly more than meets the eye on the cinema screen.

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