Hollywoodland

A meandering detective spectacle that plays with noir just enough for me to easily swallow it in two hours without any problems, and at the same time the costumes did not become unnecessarily mannerist. It also recalls the 1950s in all its glory. Like a time when a lead role in a movie meant enough to turn you into an immortal star – but also that gilt always stinks a little because nothing is free. Ben Affleck is cast as a hard-working/broken-down billboard hero and is perhaps cast the most accurately in his career. (02/21/2020)

We’ve seen this before: a private eye and his criminal case, which over time begins to be too big for him. Well, yes, hello to Roman Polanski and his Chinatown; though that one is in another world in terms of quality. Hollywoodland does have a nice noirish atmosphere, too, but the screenplay is severely lacking. For one thing, I was expecting a bigger criticism of Hollywood's hard business practices, there is no final build-up to arouse some emotions, and the last act drags on, with the story going in circles. But on the other hand, I never thought I'd ever say this, but Ben Affleck (Palme d'Or at Cannes and Golden Globe nomination) is the best thing in the whole film. He's great, giving a pleasantly subdued performance as George Reeves, free of his typical acting mannerisms (his trademark in previous films: a rather irritating constantly astonished look), and as the tragicomic Superman, dressed in costume, he's simply charming. And I'll never forget the tired look on his face just before he wraps things up at the end. Overall summary: between 3 and 4 stars, rounded up, this film is worth watching despite all its flaws. (03/16/2007)

I'm a fan of film noir. These movies often have that cool retro atmosphere, a private eye who everyone either despises or is out to get, a damsel in distress (now considered gross, chauvinistic, and gender imbalanced), dry humor (sometimes), and other elements that make this genre appealing to me. Hollywoodland was a bit different. The private eye was also the damsel in distress (at least that's how Louis felt to me), and while they captured the 50s vibe fairly well, the story left me somewhat disappointed. It dragged on for quite a while, bored me in places, and after the main character replayed several versions of one event in his head, I realized it was all over and I knew exactly as much as I did at the beginning. Well, that doesn't exactly fill me with enthusiasm. / Lesson learned: Having strong feelings for fictional characters isn't always ideal. (04/20/2022)

The situation with the Superman movies is quite interesting. Christopher Reeve did not have an easy life and, unfortunately, did not live out his days in a condition anyone would wish on him. George Reeves, his namesake and the actor who portrayed Superman in the 1950s TV series, also didn’t pass away naturally. In his case, it was death by gunshot, and no one ever really figured out who fired the shot. The case was closed as a suicide, except that George's fingerprints were never found on the gun. The film Hollywoodland, in which Ben Affleck portrays the actor, tells the story of George Reeves' death. Reeves isn't actually the main character; that role belongs to the detective, played by Adrien Brody. This might be where the problem lies. It’s as if it was supposed to be a film similar to Zodiac. An overwhelming amount is happening, and while it focuses on the characters, the tension ultimately dissipates, and the viewer gradually stops caring about what actually happened. I'm not usually a fan of Ben Affleck as an actor, but in this case, he suited the role well. (02/26/2014)