Review of Hollywoodland (2006) by R.j. L — 16 Jan 2010

There are mysteries without answers, there are crimes without justice and sometimes the answers that we search for aren't always the one's we want. That's the moral and center of Allen Coulter's deep rooted and dark Neo-Noir, "Hollywoodland", this 2006 biographical/docu-drama tells the story of the rise and subsequent fall of actor George Reeves (Ben Affleck) the star of the 1950's T.V. series "The Adventure of Superman" who after his show was canceled and he was out of work shot himself a year later in 1959. Or so people were lead to believe.

"Hollywoodland" is set near the end of the golden era in Hollywood new faces are popping up and films are becoming more and more explicit. But in the midst of change a tragedy emerges the beloved actor (George Reeves) who portrayed the most popular superhero of all time has apparently committed suicide. But the people closest to the Reeves wouldn't believe that he would just kill himself while the evidence and the police say different. So out of the blue a dogged P.I. named Louis Simo (Adrian Brody) starts sniffing around and asking questions about the death of George Reeves and what he finds is a seedy sort of corruption, lies, cover-ups and murder, or so Simo believes and in some amazing way he may be right. Now he has to jump fee first into hell and take on big wig studio bosses, his old colleagues while trying to unravel one of Hollywood's most notorious murder mystery.

This film may be a little heavy handed in some ways and may seem implausible to much older audiences who have lived this story. But for those who know it and are interested in finding out different versions of how his death might have happened will find it highly interesting. But what really catches you from the very start is that you don't just see how George Reeves died you get to watch the case unfold from the very point of his death and then you get to see his rise and fall which is flawlessly played out and preformed by Ben Affleck that you forget that he's playing a role. The story of Simo and his investigation into the death of Reeves is far more fascinating than the last few years of Reeves' life which is why the film is so effective, now I'm not dismissing the back story of Reeves it works wonderfully and does give the film a distinctive feel and a certain appeal to it that is important to the story but like I've said it may not appeal to much to everyone. But what "Hollywoodland" does is give you a look into the life of a hero to children and a look into the life of the P.I. looking for the truth to his death, this film will give you the truth your looking for if your looking for it and it will also give you the films version of the truth that it presents to you if you are not. The outcome of "Hollywoodland" is never in question and the telling of its story is efficient and engrossing even if it is at times slow paced.

Adrian Brody performance as Louis Simo the jaded Private Investigator is exceptional, powerful and at sometimes brooding and dark. Brody is a major key player in keeping this film afloat as he and Affleck are two of the main cast members who have the most screen time, and while there are some points Affleck almost outclasses Brody, Brody is able to use his intensity to beat out Affleck as the true start of this film. Ben Affleck shows what he's truly made of as the troubled and struggling actor George Reeves, Affleck gives one of his best and most haunted performances and is an amazing centerpiece to this films complex and compelling story. Diane Lane Is fantastic and compelling as the older lover to Reeves and one of the suspects in his apparent suicide, Lane is not as prominent in the film as Affleck or Brody but she is one you remember long after the film is over. The rest of the cast of well know faces are fantastic and are well placed in the story and the setting and help elevate this Neo-Noir to the status of greatness.

"Hollywoodland" will impress you and entice you if you're willing to let in the complex nature surrounding the death of George Reeves. But if you open you mind to the different possibilities of the nature of the story, the film leaves it up to you to decide what the truth is.