Review of Hollywoodland (2006) by Thomas D — 13 Sep 2010

One of the most difficult, Hollywood based investigations of the last century would have to be the mysterious death of actor George Reeves (Ben Affleck). Reeves was the first actor to play Superman in a TV series titled 'The Adventures of Superman'. Reeves was an aspiring actor and director. He was also a well liked person as well as a bit eccentric. He always would strive for more than he had. When he is found dead from a gunshot wound to the head, a thorough investigation begins. Was it his jealous lover Toni Mannix (Diane Lane)? Was it a hitman hired by movie producer Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins)? Was it suicide? That's what Private Investigator Louis Simo (Adrien Brody) is determined to find out.

-The movie was invigorating and mysterious. Simo digs deep into the investigation and ends up finding out more than he bargained for. He is pursued by Mannix' people and bullied to quit the case. Simo's persistence almost gets him killed on several occasions. The movie focuses on three main angles of the possible death of George Reeves. The case is still unresolved by the movies finale, much like in reality. It was always an unsolved death. The movie was directed very well and has many submerging shots. It plays out like a detective Noir and contains many Noir-esque scenarios. I liked how they displayed the effect of Superman's death with the neighborhood kids, in particular Simo's son Scout who mopes around and is eternally depressed. His death really effected the kids, they loved him. Adrien Brody and Ben Affleck never actually share a scene together, but both of their individual acting makes this movie very well worth it. It was slow and tended to lack pace sometimes, but most murder mysteries are like that. Brody's wise-cracking, tough guy act plays out very nicely. The sets are all great too as the director (Allen Coulter) really brings us back to the Fifties. The costumes were all amazing, all stylized to the 50's. The soundtrack was a bit haunting, there is always a lingering piano chime. I don't know why it was so eerie, it was almost like the chime itself was a reflection of Reeves' life in a whole. It was overall a very good watch, but do not be disappointed at the lack of resolution, some murders just go unsolved, especially in Hollywoodland. 4.0 starz.