HOLLYWOODLAND

Director: Allen Coulter (TV work, 1st feature film)
Starring: Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane, Bob Hoskins

Hollywoodland is a microcosm of all of the problems associated with getting the right actor for the right role. This hardboiled murder mystery, which had a down on his luck private dick, but was missing the femme fatale, had quite a bit of potential. It didn't quite live up to that potential and I think the fault lies (mostly) in the casting.

Hollywoodland follows private eye Adrien Brody as he searches for a murder mystery behind the supposed suicide of 1950's TV star George Reeves (Affleck). The film flip flops between Brody's revelations (the olde noir twists that we've come to love) and flashbacks to the life of Reeves. The Reeves role is a bit of a comeback for Ben Affleck, and really it was the perfect role for him. Reeves comes across as normal American guy. He was discovered by a talent agent and run through the studio system like a thousand other actors of his generation. Like most of those actors he doesn't really have the persona to become a true star, but he does have some average-guy good looks, a pleasant personality, and a bit of a drinking problem. Sound like anyone we know Mr. Affleck?

Reeves starts up an affair with the wife of a studio bigwig (and Affleck does a very good job of showing us the gray area of how he does this both for the opportunities she can give him, as well as for the fact he just likes her). We see how he struggles for any opportunities that acting can give him, even going so far as professional wrestling. Eventually he dies of a gunshot to his head in a bedroom of the house that his high-powered mistress (Lane) bought for him. Downstairs is his fiancee and some friends.

The story arc basically follows Brody (who is suffering from a divorce and unsuccessful livlihood) as he desperately searches for a deep mystery in this suicide. It's obvious that the Brody character needs there to be something in the rumors of murder as his own life spirals out of control around him, and he does his utmost to find a conspiracy. Without ruining the end of Hollywoodland, it's obvious that he understands that the real mystery is with his own perceptions of the death rather than the suicide/murder itself.

I liked this plot a lot. It touches on what I consider to be a most important topic, how we view reality based on what we want (or need). I think that this theme and story had the potential to be great. It didn't really pull it off, though. The direction was pedestrian, many of the plot details were simply bad. Most importantly though, I just didn't like Brody as the private investigator. I found Brody's role in the Pianist to be truly powerful and he certainly has talent as an actor, but I really don't like the guy when he tries to act the hipster. He doesn't look or feel tough or cool to me. I think he was miscast in this role of the noir private eye searching for some truth.

So, all told, this is a film with much potential that just ended up as an all-right, nice-enough type film.

Standouts: Affleck's average joe actor, Bob Hoskins (as the studio bigwig) showing the rest of the cast what real screen presence is all about in his few short scenes.
Blowouts: Brody, direction, and a lot of plot points were rather ho-hum.

Grade: B