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Hollywoodland . . . just like Disneyland, but with more hookers!
Set in the 1950’s, the movie looks at the mysterious and controversial death of TV’s original Superman. The movie cleverly presents the possibilities of what might have happened and lets the audience draw its own conclusions. Adrien Brody plays an investigator who is looking into Superman’s apparent suicide. Superman (George Reeves) is played by Ben Affleck who is a struggling actor who’s been given the opportunity to star in tiny little TV’s series called “The Adventures of Superman”. Diane Lane plays a powerful studio executive’s wife who Superman is having an affair with. The investigation questions whether Superman’s death was really a suicide or was it murder. With effective use of flashbacks, the audience is lead through a mystery of jealousy, vengeance, deceit, big business, and maybe even cold blooded murder.
Hollywoodland is a weird approach to a weird subject. But, even though it has most everything people normally hate in a movie - constant flashbacks, alternative scenarios, and, of course, Ben Affleck - it's pretty well done. It's interesting and engaging, most especially if you were a fan of the Superman television series. Surprisingly, Ben Affleck's performance is absolutely superb, and Adrien Brody is as skilled and compelling as ever. Nonetheless, the true life events on which the movie is based mandate an ending without true resolution. If you find that troubling, or if you have no interest in the plight of the classic television actor, the strong filmmaking and remarkable acting may not be enough to make Hollywoodland a completely enjoyable experience.
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On the Movie Night Traffic Light on a scale of GREEN meaning “Go – it’s a must see”, YELLOW meaning “Caution – it’s okay” and RED meaning “No - stop don’t do it."
We rate Hollywoodland YELLOW. Caution – this one is a decent story, but it’s a bit odd. |
