Review of The Player (1992) by Josh S — 01 Jul 2009
A quintessential Robert Altman film. Especially if you are into the filmmaking business. We follow Griffin Mills, a screenwriting executive for a big name production company in Hollywood who is subject to blackmail from an angry screenwriter. One thing leads to another and Griffin is plunged into a film noir story ripe with murder, mystery and intrigue.
Michael Tolkin's script is of the professional's type. Things never seen in a regular movie are used in this. Think of this: a female police officer is questioning a suspect, but all the while looking for a box of tampons. And once she finds them, she continues the questioning process while twirling one of them by the small chord in her hand! Akwardness at its finest!
The cinematography is also great. The film opens up with a 9-minute tracking shot, with at least 20 speaking parts, with people walking in and out of frame. Stars, cameos and no names litter the screen in a fine mix of comedy and drama.
Tim Robbins, at 6'3'' towers over pretty much everybody in this film and he plays his part with precision. His facial expressions are gold, his movements real, his anger...believable.
An additional bonus is the 50+ cameo roles from big name stars in this film. Smetimes they are just inside of a frame, or holding a conversation at a party. Really well done film.
This review of The Player (1992) was written by Josh S on 01 Jul 2009.
The Player has generally received very positive reviews.
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