Hollywoodland
Direted by: Allen Coulter Starring: Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, Ben Affleck
Rated: R
Hollywoodland follows the tragic suicide of George Reeves, television's Superman in the 1950s. The cast alone is impressive: Diane Lane, Adrien Brody and Ben Affleck (who somehow manages to pull it together). Brody plays Louis Simo, a second-rate detective hired by Reeves's mother, who believes her son's death was a murder. The film offers up a few different suspects, including Reeve's fianc‚e (Robin Tunney of Prison Break) and MGM head Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins).
Director Allen Coulter graduates to the big screen from hit television series Sex and the City and The Sopranos. Coulter parallels Reeves's and Simo's lives, equally accenting both characters through lengthy flashback sequences. Affleck's portrayal of Reeves creates an intimate portrait of his life, including his affair with Mannix's wife (Diane Lane), his rumored alcoholism and his disdain for the role that catapulted him to stardom. Meanwhile, Simo investigates Reeves's death while trying to mend his own tumultuous home life in order to come to terms with his immoral business practices. Lane, Brody and Affleck create emotional, multidimensional characters that bring the film to life, making it much more than a detective story.
The film could have been 30 minutes shorter without suffering at all. However, Coulter's somewhat ambiguous conclusion of Brody's investigation is effective. Instead of assuming a truth, he offers different scenarios and leaves it up to the audience to decide. Hollywoodland avoids the typical disappointments of most biopics and remains a captivating picture.
