Posted on 09/09/2006 6:47:13 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
If the death of television's iconic Man of Steel George Reeves was indeed the start of "The Superman Curse," then in an odd sort of way, that curse is a blessing for Ben Affleck.
Affleck is back in a big way as Reeves in "Hollywoodland," a sharp, sophisticated noir thriller that's easily one of the best films of the year.
True, Affleck doesn't play the lead in this fascinating film -- he's third billed behind Adrien Brody and Diane Lane -- but his presence in Superman's famed blue tights gives him enough boost to take him, well, up, up and away from such disasters as "Gigli," "Jersey Girl" and "Surviving Christmas." Taking a supporting role was clearly one of the best moves he's made in his career.
The timing of "Hollywoodland," the first of two true-life Hollywood murder mysteries on tap for this fall (the second is Brian DePalma's crime thriller "The Black Dahlia"), couldn't be any more perfect. Coming on the heels of this summer's "Superman Returns," the specter of Reeves' suspicious death has been raised in such recent documentaries as "Look, Up in the Sky!"
Reported in the media as a suicide that time, conspiracy theorists have long held that Reeves' death was a cover-up -- and with reason. After all, who wouldn't raise a red flag about a man's death by a gunshot wound to the head, when in fact the weapon purportedly didn't have the actor's fingerprints on it?
Told partially in flashback, "Hollywoodland" examines three theories: Two that claim Reeves was murdered, and the other that explains the alleged suicide -- a death on June 16, 1959, that stunned Hollywood and left young fans of Reeves' "Adventures of Superman" television show in shock, disbelief and denial.
Brody stars as Louis Simo, a flawed gumshoe and failed family man who is hired to investigate Reeves' death by the actor's grieving mother (Lois Smith) because the L.A. police have closed the case and no other detectives want to touch it.
Using backdoor tricks to uncover the mystery, the detective comes to find that Reeves was having an affair with Teri Mannix (Lane), the wife of powerful MGM Studios boss Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins). Aided by his steely cool publicist Howard Strickling (Joe Spano), Eddie rules Hollywood with an iron fist and has the certain sort of influence to make "problems" go away.
While Eddie's connection to Reeves' death seems to make perfect sense, Simo is not completely convinced that the movie mogul holds the key to the truth. The detective also discovers that Reeves' volatile relationships with others may provide a motive for murder.
Director Allen Coulter ("The Sopranos," "Sex and the City") not only expertly captures the seedy look of old Hollywood in "Hollywoodland" (as well as nailing the nostalgic feel by the reconstructing "The Adventures of Superman"), but his eye for casting is impeccable.
Already blessed with the looks of classic movie stars, Brody and Lane brilliantly bring their characters to life with charisma, subtlety, charm and vulnerability. Hoskins and Spano are downright frightening in their smaller but memorable roles, and Robin Tunney, who plays Reeves' girlfriend Leonore Lemmon, brings the an effective air of mystery in one of the film's most pivotal roles.
While Affleck may be a bit young for the role (the actor just turned 34 and Reeves was 45 when he died), age doesn't prevent him from channeling the magnetism Reeves brought to "Superman" as both the Man of Steel and Clark Kent. Affleck convincingly communicates Reeves' disdain for the role off-screen, while at the same time masking his embarrassment for wearing tights as he slips into the hero role for his young fans in public.
The only thing that prevents "Hollywoodland" from being a slam-dunk is that, like other films "based" or "inspired" by true stories, a certain amount of dramatic liberties have to be taken to bring the bring the story to life.
The most glaring example is of the lead character, Louis Simo, whom Coulter said is an amalgam of different people involved in the real-life case. It will no doubt provide skeptics an argument against the film's credibility, even though Coulter and screenwriter Paul Bernbaum approach the story with objectivity in examining the possibility of suicide.
And while Coulter and Bernbaum provide conspiracy theorists the answers they've been looking for, they in no way try to imply a happy Hollywood ending for "Hollywoodland." No matter what your take on Reeves death is, the film will leave you with as many questions as there are answers -- and wondering whether truth and justice will ever find a way, an American way, if you will, to solving this mystery once and for all.
I'll watch anything with Bob Hoskins in it.
At Hollywoodland there was a senior couple who had a hearing problem and they insisted on explaining the movie to each other. Fortunately there were plenty of empty seats and everyone moved away from them.
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Hollywood is STILL seedy looking ...
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