HOLLYWOODLAND

By: Abbie Bernstein
Date: Friday, September 08, 2006

HOLLYWOODLAND gets away with a great deal, because what's good about it is so good that it makes you inclined to overlook the bits that don't work as well. A fact-based speculative drama, HOLLYWOODLAND posits a private eye looking into the ostensible suicide of George Reeves, TV's Superman in the 1950s.

Louis Simo (Adrien Brody) is the kind of guy who's used to getting roughed up and who's not too proud to take on loser cases so long as he's getting paid. So when he follows up a tip to consult with the grieving mother (Lois Smith) of actor George Reeves (Ben Affleck), Louis figures there's not much harm in checking out the case. We flash back to Reeves' life and the two things that enter it and never leave his career as the Man of Steel, which at first he and his friends imagine absolutely nobody will ever watch, and his affair with Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), wife of MGM studio executive Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins). George thinks Toni is beautiful and, once he learns that she and Eddie have a truly open marriage, potentially good for his career. The older Toni lavishes gifts (including a house) on her handsome lover, but she can't or won't help him get roles that will move him from kids' cult sensation to a professional who's taken seriously. The more Louis learns, the less sure he is of what's happened and the more danger he's in from people who want to make sure the truth never becomes public.

Director Allen Coulter and writer Paul Bernbaum evoke the Hollywood depicted in movies of the era in which HOLLYWOODLAND is set, albeit their film is somewhat more frank in its depictions of sexuality and human behavior in general. There is a knowing, affectionate sense of how things work, then and now, and a gentle take on the gap between how Reeves and Co. feel about Superman and its extraordinary effect on viewers, especially young ones. However, where HOLLYWOODLAND shines brightest is in its examination of Reeves, played with great nuance, intelligence and resigned self-awareness by Affleck, whose work here is so good that it substantially boosts his credibility as a performer. Perhaps because there are so many elements swirling around it, this look at an actor undone by a particular type of success feels very well-proportioned, rather than being either snarkily unsympathetic or indulgently portentous.

The sections of the film dealing with Louis's investigation into what really happened are rather more uneven, as despite our genuine interest into what really happened, they feel a bit more generic. However, Brody has conviction and gives Louis a lot of weight in his reactions, remaining intriguing to watch throughout. Lane is period perfect as a siren who is ever so slightly fearful about using what she's got and Hoskins is so expert at playing tough businessmen that we don't doubt him for a moment.


Understandably not wanting to be criticized for either nullifying its central query or for revisionist history, HOLLYWOODLAND concludes on a note that is narratively fair but not entirely viscerally satisfying. However, it has provided so much by then that the journey justifies the destination.