illuminata have expand the limit of john turturro mediocrity from second rate actor to third rate director and writer and producer . this film be dreadful . it be disjoint and flit from scene to scene with little flow or mean relevant to the main story line . we be serve with a smorgasbord of fragmented scene and each a non sequitur to all the others . the only thread that seem to run through them be that they occur in the life of the member of the same theatre repertory company . the few scene that do matter to the plot be so convoluted that you frequently can not tell if the dialogue be from the story or the actor run their line for the play within the story . if this story be a person it would be a schizophrenic with mulitple personality disorder . it couldn not decide if it be a drama and a romance and a comedy and a tragedy and a sex farce and or a parody of theatre . it come close to be bearable a a sex farce . turturro be lifeless and impassive a tuccio and supposedly a complex and passionate writer whose play get it big chance when the currently run show need to be cancel due to the illness of the lead actor . susan sarandon give a good performance a the age actress try to seduce tuccio for a role . unfortunately and she find it necessary to go topless which only go to illustrate that the hardware of age sex symbol be much well leave to the imagination . christoher walkin give a delightful performance a the uppity theatre critic who make impassioned overture to a member of the cast . beverly dangelo and ben gazzara also have minor role . i give this film a 2. other than walken vignette and there be really not much to recommend it except that the puppet use in the opening and closing credit be phenomenally lifelike and beautiful . avoid this movie like the plague that it be .