AllMovie

An insightful if limited commentary on the celebrity-obsessed age, this documentary trolls the vast ocean of hype for its bottom-feeders. Rising up to get his 15 minutes of fame is New York-based photographer Victor Malafronte: a short, profane, relentless man without a conscience. "I have no sympathy for anyone earning 20 or 30 million a year," he responds to a question about his privacy-invading tactics. It's one thing for Victor and his camera-toting pals to gather outside hotels and clubs and theaters hoping to catch a good shot ("face-on is the only way to go"), most of their celebrity targets manage to look slightly perturbed or amused by all those popping flashbulbs. But when Malafronte stakes out Michael J. Fox's apartment building, it's clear he's crossing the line, even though he doesn't have a clue. Unlike a creepy young fan of Madonna who lives to snap photos of his idol while she is jogging, Victor claims he has no intrinsic interest in his subjects. It's about the money, honey, as one photo editor declares, "A picture of Michael Jackson is like currency." Viewed that way, it's possible to see these celebrity photographers as aspiring counterfeiters.