Hollywoodland

Ben Affleck is an actor. I know we often forget that when we think of Gigli, Daredevil or Jersey girl. However, he rose to fame through Chasing Amy and Good Will Hunting, which both required him to have talent. After seeing Hollywoodland, you start to remember Ben Affleck the actor and forget ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez cast off. Mr. Affleck plays George Reeves in this semi- biopic. Reeves was Superman before Christopher Reeves and before Superman was, well Superman. He played him in black and white, when the program was aimed specifically at children and eventually killed himself. Or did he? That is the question posed in this better than good film.


Adrien Brody plays a sleazeball private eye just looking for a headline and a quick buck until he lands the case of the suicide. Reeves mother believes it was murder and Brody, with a nose for trouble, jumps on the case. What a time it was for Hollywood. You had mob ties, buy offs, dirty cops and an insane ability to make people disappear. Brody thinks the murder maybe tied to Reeves affair with Diane Lane, who is married to a big time MGM producer. Lane, looking beautiful yet sad throughout the movie, appears mostly in flashbacks, but her one scene towards the end is mesmerizing, and she doesn't even say a word. Bob Hoskins plays her husband, who doesn't do much other than huff and puff his way through pretty trite dialogue.


This film plays as a great who-dun-it and as a great drama. It captures a side of what it must be like to be an icon. An idea of what it is like to be defined by one role and how that can take its toll on an actor. Affleck handles Reeves with genuine energy and sincerity. He plays him as boisterous, but never conniving. You want Reeves to succeed and Affleck handles the age range beautifully. Brody, whom I haven't seen in much added a tremendous amount of nuance to his character. The gum chewing and throwing, the twirling of the keys. His character stayed true to the mannerisms all the way through and it is terrific to watch. The movie is bogged down by an elongated ending sequence but it doesn't hamper the pace of the rest fo the film. I think it is a great movie and deserves to be seen!