Hollywoodland
Screenplay written by: Paul Bernbaum
Actors: Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane, Bob Hoskins
Directed by: Allen Coulter (episodes of
”
The Sopranos
”
and
”
Sex and the City
”
)
Rated: R (Some violence and sexual content)
Hollywoodland
Screenplay written by: Paul Bernbaum
Actors: Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane, Bob Hoskins
Directed by: Allen Coulter (episodes of “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City”)
Rated: R (Some violence and sexual content)
At a time when America’s popular culture was transitioning from being shaped by the images and mores on the big screen to those on T.V., Americans were shocked by headlines announcing the gruesome suicide of George Reeves (Ben Affleck), the Superman icon of the mid-1950s. That is when Louis Simo, (Adrien Brody), a gumshoe detective of dubious character, tries to make a name for himself by delving into the history of the people and circumstances leading to Reeves’ death while his friends sipped cocktails downstairs.
Using any means possible, including manipulating Reeves’ disbelieving mother and the press, various scenarios unfold in his mind as he learns that the marginal actor was kept by an older woman (Diane Lane) who was empowered by her marriage to a movie mogul (Bob Hoskins). However, when Simo finds out that Reeves tried to escape his hollow existence by spurning his lover and benefactor for a younger but opportunistic mistress (Robin Tunney), the peculiar circumstances leading to the actor’s death becomes even more of a complicated mystery.
He Said:
A good fictional mystery has a conclusion that answers the mystery. Conversely, a crime drama based on a real human being and actual facts relates the possibilities. There in lies the soft spot. Despite Affleck’s masterful re-creation of George Reeves as actor and man, from his staid acting style to his cleft chin and pinky ring, and despite Diane Lane’s and Adrian Brody’s natural and convincing performances, Hollywoodland lacked a “wrap” for me.
On the R&R Scale (1-10):
6 for script (Words benefited by the stellar acting)
7 for direction (Amazingly authentic mid-century details)
7 for acting (Brody 7, Affleck 8, Lane 9)
6 for plot (A duel storyline done well until the end)
7 for entertainment value (Good, but could have been more)
6.6 overall
She Said:
Hollywoodland was an impressive and yet baffling film experience. So many aspects were absolutely superior, and yet something was lacking when the credits rolled. A crime drama based on actual but mysterious historical events, it needed to transport you in every authentic detail with nuances consistent with the times, with believable characters that succeed in stirring genuine human emotion, and it needed to include intriguing foreshadowing so captivating that you are caught up by the facts and the story.
The cinematic tale of this tragic actor in soulless Hollywood certainly succeeded on many of those levels, the greatest of which was the wonderful acting and the brilliant attention paid to every mid-century detail setting the tone and texture. Yet, overall, it still fell short of captivation. While engaging in its multi-layered approach that hinted at the possible scenarios, it left me flat somewhere along the line. Reeves’ discontentment in his career and the lack of intrigue in the feasible motives of others including the underdeveloped weave of studio and law enforcement corruption, could not necessarily compel me into believing that the suicide was an intended murder – or visa versa. The acting is worth Oscar recognition though, and worth the price of admission.
On the R&R Scale (1-10)
7 for script (Interesting, but not compelling)
7 for direction (Top Notch in technical details at the expense of bigger vision that did not come across as effectively)
9 for acting (Diane Lane 10, Affleck 9, Brody 8)
6 for plot (Interesting, but storyline and characters underdeveloped in parts)
8 for entertainment Value (For a crime drama)
7.4 overall
