Review of The Player (1992) by Craig T — 28 Dec 2011

Robert Altman stirs up a buzz with a sharp satire aimed at Hollywood and though it's done with good fun, it still has claws. With playful jabs at writers, producers, and actors, The Player mixes a dark comedy undertone with a polished mystery at the surface of an intriguing story. Altman invites everyone from Bruce Willis to Malcolm McDowell to join in the party and that's a big part of this, it's a Hollywood ball caught on film. The brilliance is that a murder mystery can actually take place among them. With more personalities on set to deal with than any other film I can think of, it's no wonder Altman received an Oscar nomination for Best Director for his careful and artistic take on the daily lives of all the stars that make movies happen. I was attracted to this film mostly because it is my favorite film critic's #1 choice for 1992. While I can't name it as my #1 of that year, I can easily rank it just under Unforgiven and say that it was a freshly entertaining film and easily among the best of the year.

Tim Robbins plays a successful studio executive who is receiving death threat telegrams. This could not have come at a worse time, as his job may be on the chopping block due to a charming new executive (Peter Gallagher) being newly hired to handle some high profile deals. His alarm and paranoia is increasingly catching up with him and damaging his professional and personal life. He takes action and tracks down the man he thinks is responsible for the mail and attempts to set things right. Apparently, Robbins never responded to a certain writer's calls and efforts to have his story made into a movie. Perhaps if he admits his wrongs and makes the man an offer, he will cease the torment. After a failed attempt to have a calm drink to smooth things over and even offering the writer another chance to have his story heard, the angry writer refuses and storms out of the bar. Just outside the men argue again and the two men get physical with Robbins ultimately killing the writer. This starts a chain reaction of cops, studio security, and the girlfriend of the victim to come into play. It seems that the police and security know that Robbins has something to hide and it just so happens that Robbins and the girlfriend of the deceased become attracted to one another. The revelation that Robbins killed the wrong man is almost instantaneous as the hate mail continues. Can Robbins escape suspicion? Is his career really in jeopardy? Who is sending the death threats? Altman uses his expertise to provide clear scenes of suspicion and does so both tastefully and logically. Several films have tried to tell a story among the chaos of stardom in the movie business (think What Just Happened) but perhaps none can come across as suspenseful and colorful as The Player, a murder mystery that runs deep among the shallow.

Altman and the writer (Michael Tolkin) are the geniuses behind this success but this showcase would be hollow without a stellar performance by Tim Robbins. The pace and scenery is just as intriguing as the more mysterious plot elements. Though it often lacks potency and emotional connections, it is supposed to be a bit cold I believe. We are able to walk through celebrity parties shoulder to shoulder with Tim Robbins and Greta Scacchi and for a short time, we feel as close to the stars as they do. It is a trip out of the ordinary and we get to sit next to Burt Reynolds during lunch and bump into Andie McDowell at a night club. Robbins is in cruise control here as he effortlessly slides on and off screen among the "A List Celebrities". He feels right at home in his role and at the same time realistically seems to be losing his grip as panic seeps into his eyes. This picture doesn't need to make the jokes personal, direct the punch lines at the defenseless, and/or lose face in showing glimpses of fame among the famous. It's all in good fun. With so much going on in this film, it is easy to get distracted by all the familiar faces but I feel that the Oscar nominated editing (Geraldine Peroni) saved the process from getting too far out of hand. The Player has a carefree nature to it while containing an interesting crime drama without feeling bipolar or unequally divided. Altman show his ideas are well outside the box and he dares to bring a brilliantly original story to life. What results is a career high for both Altman and Robbins as well as one of the best films of 1992. (B+).