|
Movie Review - Hollywoodland (2006)
|
|
|
|
|
(What this rating means)
|
|
| |
|
| Director: |
Allen Coulter |
| Starring: |
Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, Ben Affleck, Bob Hoskins, and Robin Tunney |
| Rated: |
R (for language, some violence and sexual content) |
| Length: |
126 minutes |
| Genre: |
Crime/Drama/Mystery/Historical Fiction |
| Tagline: |
Living in Hollywood can make you famous. Dying in Hollywood can make you a legend. |
| Studio: |
Focus Features |
| Website: |
Hollywoodland |
| Release: |
September 8,2006 |
|
PLOT
|
June 16, 1959. George Reeves, TV's Superman, just can't escape the shadow of his Man of Steel persona. Unable to
attain the Clark Gable movie status he so desires, and under the heavy influence of alcohol, Reeves puts a bullet
in his head and calls it a life. Case closed. Or is it?
If Reeves committed suicide then why were there two other bullet holes found in his bedroom floor? Why was a bullet
recovered from the paneling of the living room downstairs? Why were there no fingerprints on the gun? Why was he
in a car crash a couple of weeks earlier where it was determined that the brake fluid was drained from his car?
The media and the L.A.P.D. are quick to label it a suicide and move on, but detective Louis Simo (Brody) gets
involved with the case when Reeves' mother surfaces and claims her son was killed.
Simo originally takes the case as a means of catapulting his reputation and getting his name and face in the
papers, but the deeper he digs, the more suspicious evidence he uncovers, and the more he is led to believe that
foul play may have actually been involved. Ben Affleck's valiant attempt to revive his career ensues.
|
|
JOHNNY'S TAKE
|
"It didn't really answer anything!" exclaimed one seemingly frustrated woman as the closing credits rolled.
Well, no, it didn't. But that's kind of because Hollywoodland is based on a real-life murder mystery that
is surrounded by more theories than convincing answers. That's why the movie was made in the first place.
What did you expect? A little breaking news to be exposed in a motion picture?
If you know anything about the real story then you know it was officially ruled a suicide. However, if you
harbor a healthy degree of skepticism like I do, then you know there's definitely more to it.
Come on, Reeves (portrayed in a surprisingly convincing manner by Ben Affleck) was having an affair with Toni
Mannix (Lane, in a role that could result in her second Oscar nomination), the wife of Eddie Mannix - the general
manager of MGM (portrayed by Ed Asner look-alike Bob Hoskins). Oh, and it just so happens that Eddie is a former
New Jersey gangster who had been a suspect in several murders and was said to have maintained his ties with the
mob.
Reeves eventually dumped Toni Mannix for the younger Leonore Lemmon (Tunney), a gal with Hollywood aspirations
of her own. I smell trouble! Telling a woman who has bought you a house, paid for many fancy meals and furnishings,
and helped further your career that you're leaving her for a hot little number because she "makes you feel young"?
Probably not the smartest move, especially when it upsets her mobster husband.
Reeves and Lemmon went on to get engaged, but I guess George wanted to give conspiracy theorists a little more to
feast on, so he called off the wedding. So let's see, we've got two scorned women and a former gangster involved?
Yeah, good luck convincing me that it was suicide.
This is exactly the kind of murder mystery that appeals to me - it's based on a true story, there's enough
suspicion to make you doubt the "actual findings," and it plays out dramatically enough to engage your attention
from beginning to end.
The lack of closure could be a sticking point for those of you who like your mysteries wrapped up with a nice
little bow on top, but I appreciated the manner in which the unanswered questions were presented. Rather than
beat us over the head with their own conclusions, the filmmakers have introduced the three most popular theories
surrounding George Reeves' death and they've given audiences just enough credible information to make up our own
minds regarding what we think happened. It should cause interesting debates amongst you and your friends as you
leave the theater.
I was equally entertained by the inside look at George Reeves' life and the revelation of what Hollywood was really
like during its so-called "Golden Age." Perception, apparently, is not always reality.
Did you know that Reeves actually hated playing the role of Superman? He wanted to be a movie star, but after his
return from WWII, the offers weren't there. His manager convinced him to take the role because "An actor can't
always act. Sometimes he has to work." So he took the role, cashed the check, and gave us one of the best examples
of why actors fear being typecast.
An actor just cashing paychecks, huh? I guess it's obvious why Affleck was perfect for this role.
As I was leaving the theater, somebody came up to me and asked, "So what do YOU think happened? I've asked three
different people and have gotten three different answers."
Ah, isn't it a refreshing? A movie that actually has people talking afterwards? A movie that makes you want to
jump on the Internet and do a little research to find out more about what happened? It's a rare thing, so if
you're at all interested in the subject matter then I definitely think Hollywoodland will keep your
attention. There's also a good chance that it will make a conspiracy theorist out of you.
|
|
ODDS & ENDS
|
- The phrase “Hollywoodland,” from which the movie takes its title, was the original lettering on the
world-famous Hollywood Sign.
- From what I can tell, the filmmakers stick closely to the facts. The Louis Simo character (efficiently
portrayed by Adrien Brody) is fictional, and some poetic license is taken, but overall it appears to take its
accuracy very seriously.
- The movie has been in development since the fall of 2001.
- As I left the theater, I found it humorous to listen to people begrudgingly admit that Ben Affleck "wasn't
that bad." Ah, the stigma of being Affleck.
- Affleck admits, "I did more research for this movie than any I’ve ever done, and spent a lot of time
preparing. I put on about 20 pounds; there was a lot of, ‘I’ll go to bed in a minute, but just let me eat
this pizza first...’"
- Ben's research for previous movies involved little more than finding out where the nearest bank was so he
could hurry up and cash the check. Preparation included filling his car with gas to ensure that he'd get to
the bank with no trouble.
- The filmmakers wanted to accurately recreate the old Superman set. They even included the bad painting of the
Brooklyn Bridge behind the Perry White character.
- "Ben understood certain things about George Reeves; there are a number of traits they share," said director
Allen Coulter. "He knows a thing or two about being vulnerable as an actor in Hollywood."
- COUGH survivingchristmasgigli COUGH! Sorry, something caught in my throat.
- One of the bigger challenges for Affleck and the effects team was placing Reeves in-character in original From
Here to Eternity footage – in the same frame as the film’s star Burt Lancaster. Dennis Berardi,
visual effects supervisor, says, "We shot Ben against a green screen, giving him a proper eye line and working
very carefully under a matched camera angle. We had Burt’s lines being played into an earpiece for Ben, and he’d
act out Reeves’ lines as if Burt were in the shot with him. He did a fantastic job."
- I can neither confirm nor deny the rumor that this caused Burt Lancaster to roll in his grave.
- Diane Lane refused to dine in public with Affleck because she wanted to avoid rumors of them having an
affair. Yep, she obviously wanted to make sure people wouldn't think she'd be stupid enough to have a fling with
Affleck, considering she's married to the inimitable Josh Brolin.
- Bob Hoskins reports, "When I found out that Diane was doing Hollywoodland, I thought, ‘Cool.’"
- Bob Hoskins, not the most reflective or insightful man in Hollywood.
- Adrien Brody was in King Kong with Naomi Watts who was in Stay with Ewan McGregor who was in
Nightwatch with Josh Brolin who was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
|
|
MAMA'S APPROVAL
|
Once this is for edited for TV then it'll meet mama's approval, but you might want to be aware that "f" bombs and
G-d**ns are sprinkled throughout. We see some partial "overweight Ben Affleck" nudity and one sex scene.
|
|
TRAILER COMPARISON
|
It gives you a good idea of what to expect.
|
|
THE GIST
|
In essence, there are two compelling views here - one of the time period in which all this took place and one of
Reeves' death and the circumstances surrounding it. Both mesh well to provide a completely entertaining movie
experience.
|
|
