People I Know is a movie that is a movie that is about the rich and powerful in entertainment, politics, and special interest groups that make you want throw up. The only redeeming quality about this movie is watching a movie great, Al Pacino, do nothing to discredit his reputation by doing a convincing, albeit rehashed character, Eli Wurman.

The story is about Wurman, a publicist for the rich and famous in his prime, who as he has turned the corner and is towards the end of his career, as only one major client left, movie star Cary Launer (Ryan O'Neil,) who is a typical Hollywood scumbag. After going to a premier of a Broadway play that his is the publicist for and which it is being trashed by the theater community, Eli is called by Launer to go and bail out an actress "friend" of his that ended up in jail. So Eli goes and bails out Jilli Hopper (Tea Leoni,) and is supposed to take her to a private airport and send her back to Hollywood. However, she has to stop at a party first to pick up something of hers that she left. It turns out that this party is a traveling Opium sex orgy that is frequented by the rich and powerful of New York. While this is going on Eli is trying to get a benefit for a bunch of illegal aliens who are about to be deported and he is on a holier than thou campaign against a Republican Mayor and Senator.

The movie is a bunch of self-indulgent dribble implying there are two types of people in show business, those who fight for a cause, and those who fight for money and power. We all know that there are people like this so why make a movie about it?

Pacino does a great job as Wurman, a guy that is tired and wants to get out of the business and with this last benefit, he will. The reason why I say it is rehashed because he plays a similar character in a better movie, Insomnia, in 2002.

The movie, outside of Pacino, does not merit recognition. All of the other actors do a great job of creating a farce of themselves and the story. From the drugged out actress by Leoni, to the arrogant Hollywood actor who thinks he can get away with everything.

This movie came out in 2002 and even though some of the famous movie reviewers liked it, it died quite quickly. I say let stay dead unless you like watching Pacino.

Brian - the Naked Gun