Hollywoodland

This really could've been a great movie with a fascinating subject. Superman, the Man of Steel, dead from a gunshot to the head. An actor, the hero of children everywhere, apparently kills himself. A once strong and handsome struggling actor becomes an aging, out of shape, typecast has-been. But because his death was mysterious, Hollywoodland ditches what could've been a fascinating biography and makes it mostly a sub-par detective story.

Adrien Brody plays a private detective hired by George Reeves' mother to prove that her son didn't commit suicide. All the normal detective stuff happens, but I found myself far more interested in Reeves' life than his death. Brody's character spends a lot of time looking into Reeves, but also has issues with his son, and a second case involving a strange client who is convinced his wife is cheating on him. Neither served more than to make a fairly insignificant point about Brody's character and we could have done without both.

Most of the attention for this film was put on Ben Affleck and his performance. He does an able job, but those that heaped praise (and a Golden Globe nomination) on him missed an important element of his performance. He was mostly playing himself. He does have personal similarities to George Reeves (reported troubles with alcohol, and he certainly seemed uncomfortable in that Daredevil costume), but I mean more in a general sense. Affleck has been pretty good in some roles in the past, and they're all pretty similar. He does that sort of charismatic, funny, but kind of a jerk role perfectly. Not to say that he's a charismatic funny jerk, but his voice and his face and his mannerisms lend themselves to him playing those parts naturally. Any time he tries to do something different (Gigli, Daredevil), it tends not to work out too well.

I guess that's a roundabout way of saying I think he doesn't have any range as an actor, and that he should stick to what he's good at. But here, he was doing some of his best work. The movie's split between the investigation Reeves' death and flashbacks to Reeves' life, and virtually every good scene is in t he past. Probably the best scene in the film is some footage of Affleck right near the end. Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins also deliver good performances in the flashback sequences.

I don't know why the same seedy underbelly of 40's and 50's Hollywood is always so interesting, but I really did like the setting. Is it just combining 50's nostalgia with classic movies and television and giving it a film noir veneer? Or is it more of a dramatized version of the tabloids, how people love to see the rich and famous fall? In any case, all the elements you're used to seeing are there: the gold diggers, the paparazzi, the wannabe actors looking for a break, and of course the evil studio boss.

The one highlight for me in the Adrien Brody section of the movie was the bit part of his girlfriend/assistant, played by Caroline Dhavernas from Wonderfalls. I really loved that show, and it's always nice to see her. I don't like the blonde hair but she's still adorable, and was pretty good despite a fairly bland part.

I'd recommend Hollywoodland to a fan of Superman or to a Ben Affleck fan (if there are any), but that's about it. I liked quite a few parts, but the film as a whole was disappointing.