DVD : Hollywoodland

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- The Affleck parts are good, it's a shame about Brody.
Part crime film, part biopic, "Hollywoodland" tells the story of the late George Reeves (television's original Superman) who may have been murdered or may have just killed himself, as is commonly believed.

The scenes featuring Ben Affleck as Reeves are excellent. Affleck shows that he really can act, and it is fascinating to learn just how Reeves really felt about the role that made him famous. To see "Superman", lying on his back, swilling booze from a hip-flask, makes this movie almost worth the price of purchase... Almost.

Unfortunately, there just aren't enough scenes featuring Affleck. The scenes about Reeves are flashbacks to the main plotline, about Adrian Brody's character, a private detective who has been hired to investigate Reeves's death. Adrian Brody has never appealed to me and after seeing this film I don't feel inspired to ever see another film that he is in. Too much of the film time is devoted to Brody's character and his personal problems, and yet I did not find this character to be remotely appealling and by the end of the film I was just bored by him.

Given the lurid subject matter, this film should have been much better. I had hoped for something along the lines of "Auto Focus", the biopic about Bob Crane (of "Hogan's Heroes" fame). Unfortunately, a bad script and bad acting (on the part of Brody) leave this film floundering in mediocricy.

Rating:

- Surprise of a gem
I was quite surprised as to how interesting this movie is. Loved the way the ending was done and would recommend this movie as a keeper to add to your collection.

Rating:

- Hollywood Land Looks at LaLa Land
A good movie, interesting treatment. In the 50's, George "Superman" Reevese is killed. There remains even today strong suspicion of murder and after Reeves death, a PI begins investigating the circumstances of the shooting death of the TV star. The actors are uniformly good, the documentary extra on this DVD is very good. It may not be something you want to sit through repeatedly but it's worth viewing.

Rating:

- What Happened to George Reeves?
This film is about the mysterious death of George Reeves, who was best known for starring in the TV series "Superman". It tries to recreate the 1950s with its styles, and cars. Does it succeed?
A client visits a private detective (who works out of his apartment) to have his wife investigated. Lou drives a 1954 Chevrolet, an average car that doesn't attract attention. Lou Simo gets a tip that Reeves' mother does not believe it was a suicide. Lou knows how to get inside information from the coroner's office. Then the story goes back in time, to where Reeves meets Toni Mannix at an expensive nightclub. Lou researches the wristwatch worn by Reeves. The film tells about the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Reeves puts on his "man of steel" costume for "Superman". He got the job. Lou has trouble with his son. The we see the scenes that were never seen on TV, made to amuse the actors. There were no fingerprints on the Luger, the shell was under the body, no powder burns on the body. Lou investigates the other people present at that party. The film shows how the shooting could have occurred - as an accident that was covered up. Had his role in "Superman" made Reeves unemployable? Is this a problem for actors in any TV series" [What sort of appeal did the "Superman" show have for America? What effect would it have when the kids were old enough to vote? Is there any psychological conditioning in TV for kids? Watch and see.]

Lou gets a stern warning to stay off the case. [Its like a Raymond Chandler story.] Then a phone call summons Lou to meet his client - and the police are there! There's another flashback to Reeves' past. They show another theory for Reeves' death: a murder for hire. Was Reeves blackballed by Hollywood? Was his future dimming? This film does not offer a definitive solution; it can't.

The scenes in this film were very careful to exclude anything that wasn't from the 1950s. Note the lack of airplanes in the sky, or large crowds or traffic. This film would be better if edited for faster pacing and a shorter length. Would that private investigator own such an expensive camera as a late-model Leica? This film seems like a waste given the other events from the 1950s that are more relevant to today's world. There seems to be a tone of phoniness in this film.

Any other aging actor should consider moving over into advertising, as a company spokesman. This did wonders for Ronald Reagan.

Rating:

- There goes my hero, he's ordinary
HOLLYWOODLAND tells the fictional tale of a private detective investigating questionable circumstances of the real-life death of actor George Reeves. I am not sure how much liberty HOLLYWOODLAND takes regarding the details of Mr. Reeves' life and untimely demise, but the film makes its point in how the quest to be great can become the enemy of simply being good.

In HOLLYWOODLAND Ben Affleck delivers a career performance portraying television star George Reeves, who seemingly kills himself because he was unable to find acting jobs he wanted. Almost as good as Mr. Affleck are Diane Lane as Toni Mannix, Reeves' lover; and Adrian Brody as the fictional private detective Louis Simo, who thinks domestic violence or organized crime may have been the real cause of George Reeves' death.

Perhaps George Reeves should have lived with letting his television work be good enough. HOLLYWOODLAND protagonist sleuth Louis Simo, not content to earn a living being hired to catch unfaithful spouses, reaches for glory as he attempts to prove the gun that took Mr. Reeves' life was not in his own hand.

Had we not lost George Reeves, who knows, the roles he wanted may have come. As for Louis Simo, his obsession to prove Mr. Reeves did not commit suicide distracts him from one of his routine assignments, a case that ends in tragedy. Chasing greatness, the detective overlooks the chance to simply do good.

Did George Reeves die at the hands of the mob, a woman with whom he had a domestic dispute, or himself? While HOLLYWOODLAND seems to start by asking that, the film ends with a greater question: Is doing good work worthwhile, or is greatness all that matters?

See HOLLYWOODLAND.

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