Hollywoodland (2006)

The violent death of a famous actor prompts an opportunistic private investigator to kick up a media storm with allegations of murder, but what trouble awaits him when vicious thugs from the movie industry are drawn into the frame?Elaborate noir with a down on his luck outsider, a femme fatale, feckless dames, and a twisty plot that spins a web of confusion without tearing apart. It's a fictionalised bio of the famous actor, which exaggerates quite a bit to increase the sense of tragedy and generate mystery. The atmosphere of '50s Hollywood is well done, and we're presented with a cycle of broken lives all trying desperately to feed off each other. The one inch of solid ground is provided by the actor's agent, who concludes with a non-committal act. So it's nihilistic, but there's plenty of passion and emotion - especially the sadness of loss.The performances are good, although I find it hard to accept the lead actor as a tough guy. As Marlowe would say: "no iron in his bones". The climax is good, but didn't pack a full punch for me - I think maybe the b&w footage of the wrestling audition didn't give the intended insight.The music is good, plenty of sorrowful brass. Highlight of the photography is flame-lighting of faces from dozens of cigarette scenes.Overall: Well paced genre piece that ends up solid rather than awe-inspiring.

To me, this movie is among the best movies of the past decade. I absolutely love historical American biopic film noir set in the 1950's, especially set in Tinsel town. And this is the best film I've seen in that genre. Also, as a kid I was absolutely nuts about the original TV series "Adventures of Superman" starring George Reeves. Once, when we lived in Houston, Texas, my parents were expecting company, and my mother was busy vacuuming the living room when the Superman show came on. I came running in from outside right on schedule, grabbed a cookie, turned on the TV, turned up the volume, and began to watch as I always religiously did. As my mother passed in front of the TV vacuuming, she switched off the TV and told me to go back outside and play because she had to clean up for the guests. Well, I'll be brief and simply say that I went into full-blown convulsions, complete with screaming, falling to the floor, kicking, and choking on my cookie. My mother was dumbfounded by my reaction; she stood motionless staring at me with the vacuum whirring in her hand. She had never seen me act like that before, or since. She realized that I was neurotically serious about this TV show, and so she immediately turned it back on. I instantly recovered and continued watching like a hypnotized zombie, and she returned to her vacuuming. If you knew my mom you'd know how rare this was because she almost never reversed a parental command to her kids, nor did she flinch from spanking us if we were overly stubborn. Getting back to this film, Ben Affleck was brilliant in his portrayal of George Reeves. His was the most difficult role because the public knows Reeves. Affleck's mannerisms, body movements, facial expressions, and dialog were perfect Reeves to the tee, even though his voice is a bit different. That kind of research and acting ability separates the pros from the rookies. Affleck is a consummate professional, a great actor. Adrien Brody, also a consummate professional, and one of my favorites, was absolutely superb in the role of detective Louis Simo. I don't think anyone could have given a better performance as a young 1950's real-life LA private eye, complete with reality life problems. Brody made this picture a success as the driving force at the helm; he was thoroughly enjoyable to watch. Diane Lane was also great as Toni Mannix. I consider the casting for this film a work of genius, because Robin Tunney, Jeff DeMunn, Bob Hoskins, Neil Crone, Caroline Dhavernas, and Joe Spano all gave superb performances, as did all the actors in this film. But I think the real heroes of this great film are director Allen Coulter, producer Glenn Williamson, writers Howard Korder and Paul Bernbaum, and the production professionals. Pre-production research and accuracy are extremely important in a biopic film. This film's story and character accuracy, cinematography, depiction of 1950's Los Angeles, background music, artistry, sound and film editing, are absolutely amazing work by some of the greatest film talents of our time. I particularly liked the film's beautiful story art and human reflection on Reeve's life and personal tragedies, and Simo's deepening personal emotions as he investigates Reeve's death, finding some parallels between Reeve's life and his own. This movie is among my most important art possessions. I first saw it in a theater when it was released in 2006. I was divorced at the time, and I went alone to a crowded city theater. I quietly slipped into the dark theater with my popcorn and soda, because I really wanted to see this film. Somehow I knew I'd love it, and I did. This film does not disappoint. When the DVD came out I immediately purchased one. Whether I'm facing a life tragedy, or I'm depressed, had a bad day, or simply want to enjoy a beautiful movie, I can slip a DVD like this into the player and be transferred to another place and time, entertained, and cured of my burdens all at once. I can't begin to express my appreciation for the people who come together and create great works like this movie, nor can I express my awe in their amazing talents. Biopic films like this are grossly under-appreciated by the public. These movies don't rake in the vast numbers of 12 to 18 year-olds who make up the large demographic of movie goers, thus don't rake in huge box office revenues like the dumb action-hero, sci-fi CGI, and horror thrillers do. I guess most people would also be bored reading Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, preferring a Hobbit fantasy novel instead. They'd toss Einstein's book aside, never appreciating the great accomplishment in human intellect that they just trashed. This is why I so appreciate the people who produce these movies. They give the world the fruits of their amazing talents, with little monetary reward. They leave us great works of art and history for posterity. Thankfully, Hollywoodland eventually did make a small profit after DVD rentals and sales, which restores some of my confidence in the American public.

Hollywoodland (2006): Dir: Allen Coulter / Cast: Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane, Robin Tunney, Bob Hoskins: Intriguing mystery noir film about Hollywood corruption. It regards the investigation of the George Reeves death in 1959 where the Superman actor apparently committed suicide but a private investigator argues in favor of murder once the victim's mother hires him for the case. Director Allen Coulter doesn't solve the case but supplies several possible assumptions and suspects. This film isn't about answers as it is about the unsatisfactory run of fame of George Reeves. Adrien Brody is superb as the investigator out for recognition yet drawn into a world of deceit that even affects his son who mourns the death of the man of steel. Ben Affleck plays Reeves who despises the Superman gig and yearns for greater opportunities. He finds temporary satisfaction in the form of two women who leaves scars. Diane Lane plays the wife of a studio head who is having an affair with Reeves but once she appears to be ageing he detatches from her. Robin Tunney plays Reeves's mistresses whom is a suspect in the case but is seen more mysterious. Bob Hoskins seems right for this material after headlining Who Framed Roger Rabbit? This contains a similar period placing him as a potential suspect. The film is given a beautiful noir appeal with undercurrent Hollywood corruption and washouts. Score: 10 / 10

This story may attract an audience which even may have no interest in George Reeves himself, or the "Superman" series, a faded far away time. But it also a story of deceptions, corruption, mendacity and of course murder.Diane Lane as the former showgirl, Toni Mannix, happens upon young actor George Reeves (Ben Affleck) at a Hollywood party. She becomes involved with him and apparently as older woman feels she has a few good years left, so wants to keep Reeves as her ego boost. A "kept" man, she buys him a house in Benedict Canyon which her husband (who has his own mistress and dalliances) gladly pays for to keep her occupied.Lane has been in some rather mediocre films lately, so deserves credit for this realistic role of Toni Mannix. Eddie Mannix is well portrayed by Bob Hoskins. Eddie Mannix himself, if you read his biography was the right arm of Louis B. Mayer, MGM and its enforcement of the golden years of the studio. It makes for an interesting read as well.Indeed, the actual factual story is about Eddie Mannix, his VP position at MGM and the role of Howard Strickland as "the fixer" in the times when MGM studios ruled Hollywood with an iron fist. They also ruled actors, their careers, and possibly (if one has read of the murder mystery of Jean Harlow's husband, Paul Bern) have had involvement in many cover-ups.Adrien Brody as the outside observer, almost reminds one of Nick Carraway in "The Great Gatsby" (referring to Fitzgerald's book, not the recent abysmal commercial movie with Leonardo di Caprio).We see him as he attempts to speak to Toni Mannix about the Reeves murder and she is a silhouette, saying "he was shot" but revealing nothing further about Reeves' death. As a sometime private investigator, Louis Simo is an outsider trying to piece the puzzle together.Reeves died an evening when there ere three other people present . His sometime girlfriend Lenore Lemmon (Robin Tunney is believable, but a bit over the top as a cheap NY hustler), writer Robert Condon and another woman, who all subsequently stated that Reeves simply shot himself directly in the head as a result of long term depression over his career. There were however, gunshots in the floor as well, which LAPD never explained. At the scene of the murder also were found Catholic mass cards, which some have suggested were left by Toni Mannix, who in her life mourned Reeves' death and never re-married after her husband, Eddie Mannix died.The story is very good, and while I am not a fan of Ben Affleck, he does have the cadence here of George Reeves, a rather bygone era of "movie star" ambitions which for Reeves himself were never achieved in his life. Thee is a sense of tawdriness and disdain Reeves himself felt for the Hollywood "system" and the character he portrayed on TV just to try get a film career going, which actually never materialized for him.The back story with Reeves' mother (excellent cameo by Lois Smith as Helen Bessalo), is also relevant. There is a tragic story to the upbringing of George Reeves and what depressions and failures he may have had in his life as well as the abandonment of his father in real life. His mother also apparently lied to him about his father and reasons he left.And it is indeed, THIS aspect of the mystery, which helps the story to meld as something more than just a has been celebrity and tawdry Hollywood. We see Adrien Brody as he watches his estranged son, a young boy with a new stepfather, and how his young son idolized "Superman" ( a rather silly series at best, but it clearly had an impact on children of that time). As Louis Simo, he is in a state of flux, drinking, resenting his choice to feed off of the seaminess of his job, but who still in the end tries to do the right thing and mend his relationship with his young son. He relates to Reeves' tragic death in a very personal way, seeing that this may be his final chance as well.After seeing this film again on TMC I hope to see Adrien Brody in more suspense and drama. He clearly offers many layers to the audience and has much more to offer in the way of his talent for drama and subtlety. Even though the character of Louis Simo is on the periphery, the story works because we empathize and see the world of Hollywood through his eyes, and not some ephemeral filter with which plastic Hollywood is often shown to the masses.The Hollywood of the MGM "golden" days" was not so golden on its underbelly, and the hypocrisy of it and how people view it is addressed in the story here. It does not come off as a cheap parody however, unlike the TV we see today which is indeed pure trash.9/10.