Review of Hollywoodland (2006) by Sanford R — 29 Aug 2009

An "L.A. Confidential" meets "Rashomon" ripoff bogged down by superfluous details of P.I. Brody's domestic anguish. Ben Affleck is unexpectedly the best thing going on here (a tense scene involving one of his public appearances as Superman and a gun-toting youngster hints at how gripping this film could have been) but the by-the-numbers presentation of the story of George Reeves's death leaves everything to the imagination--not a great idea considering the well-worn trope of the seedy underbelly of Hollywood fame and glamor that eats up the tortured, "serious" artist.