Hollywoodland

by Ari

Ben Affleck tries desperately hard to salvage the screen-writing debacle that is Hollywoodland, and his charm and passion for the role of 50’s Superman icon George Reeves is not only suitable and well cast, but the only remote bit of personality found in this flat, overlong investigative drama. Hollywoodland is directed by HBO veteran Allen Coulter, and his small-screen sensibilities are evident in everything from visuals to pacing. Hollywoodland unravels like the worst television procedural drama, complete with tedious, wholly unnecessary subplots, obvious character developments, and bland, uninspired thematic parallels. This is a poorly written and executed episode of Law & Order, only set in a more cinematic and glamorous period. On few occasions, a solid ensemble cast and a talented director can turn a lackluster screenplay into worthwhile cinematic entertainment, but this mostly miscast group of actors and television talent only underline the sequence-for-sequence struggle for good dialogue, character, or any sign of dramatic tension whatsoever. Hollywoodland is standard and unsatisfying, a by-the-books crime/thriller that believes its roots in Hollywood scandal create immediate dramatic engagement. The problem is that the film expresses no emotional depth, nor provides much insight into the Hollywood figure that created the story. This is routine and lazy, an under-whelming venture that gets progressively worse as each tedious minute slowly passes.

A scummy private investigator, Louis Simo (Adrein Brody) is hired to explore the supposed suicide of actor George Reeves (Affleck) - a mysterious death that many believe was actually murder. Since the case is still unsolved to this day, Hollywoodland has the tricky job of imagining every possible scenario. Screenwriter Paul Bernbaum creates two stories within the movie, one surrounding the life and career of actor Reeves, and one following Simo on his turgid investigation. The lead character, Simo, is quite possibly the most poorly written, empty, and dull investigator movies have seen in quite some time, a collection of obvious dramatic beats, silly quirks, and inconsequential back-story. Simo’s only purpose is to investigate Reeves’ suicide, and since that only allows the character limited dramatic range, Bernbaum involves him in some rather horrid side-stories, one being the single worst piece of excess I’ve seen in movies this year.

Simo is a checklist of bad noir-inspired leads. He’s a tough guy with a smokey voice that was once a more reputable detective until some inconsequential matter erupted with the department and his partner. He has an ex-wife and a child he has difficulties communicating with. His only interest is making a quick buck, caring little for people or attachment. Simo is the cause of three useless subplots, the first being his responsibility as a father (his son is depressed by Reeves’ death, his hero), the second being an unnecessary sexual relationship with his assistant (utterly pointless), and the worst being a side job involving an insecure man inspecting the activities of his wife, a plot that ends in bloodshed. While the first side-story tries (poorly) to connect the characters thematically, the other subplots, most notably the side job, are confounding in their pointlessness.

Brody is a talented actor, but miscast. His performance is desperately leaning towards edgy, but his character’s predictability and god-awful dialogue are far too distracting. His imaginary reenactments of Reeves’ death only add to the unoriginal tv-level sophistication at hand. After his own personal horrors and struggles, he finally contemplates the reason behind suicide, nodding in understanding of how Reeves could end his own life.

This is their idea of deep insight into the death of George Reeves.

A straight biopic of Reeves’ career would’ve been much more intriguing, and it’s in Affleck’s charismatic performance that Hollywoodland finds some sure footing. The flashbacks to his life are easily the most engaging material, even if the dialogue is flat, and the very notion of pacing is non-existent. Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins are given dry supporting roles, quality actors reduced to cartoon representations of period flamboyance and danger. Affleck, however, is surprisingly good, or at least, much better than everyone else involved. He’s confident and charming as Reeves, providing the heart and appeal of the story. Reeves' story is inherently fascinating, from struggling actor to thankless star, a man plagued by an image he never wanted. Affleck expresses his sorrow while portraying a very personable and ambitious Hollywood legend.

Production values are the most professional aspect of Hollywoodland. The sets and costumes look terrific, the period effectively recreated. It’s a handsome production if nothing else.