A interesting film showing us something of the "real" George Reeves who was nothing like Clark Kent in reality. Having a penchant of booze and women he did what he could to build a career in the "picture" business. He meets a top studio executive's wife (Lane) and begins a lengthy affair that gets him a house, an allowance, and Superman. Being pitifully type cast he finds himself on the cutting room floor of "From Here to Eternity" and falls for a younger woman who wants him to keep moving forward with film projects as a director and producer when it looks as if he will never make it in tinseltown.We get an excellent taste of the last of the studio system days with Bob Hoskins playing the studio exec who tolerates Lane's infidelities (she reciprocates). Adrian Brody plays a small time private investigator who is tipped off that a few folks don't believe Reeves killed himself, including Reeve's mother who hires Brody to get the case reopened from being a suicide.
The film has been treated to appeared aged so it that reminds you of the 50's and the stylists went out of their way to populate the scenery with items boomers will remember from their childhood. The time line of the film is cleverly mixed with flashbacks and "could have been's". At the end we are left with three possibilities about what really happened to Reeves: 1) a jealous, jilted older lover, 2) a protective studio exec husband, 3) a true suicide.
It's worth a see.
Who's aggitat'in my dots?
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Topic - Hollywoodland: Laying Superman to rest . . . - mr grits 21:13:44 09/09/06 (12)
- i just came back form seeing it. - hifitommy 18:50:44 09/16/06 (0)
- #3. nt - AudioHead 09:43:19 09/13/06 (2)
- I was trying not to spoil . . . - mr grits 17:01:13 09/17/06 (1)
- Somewhere, I have seen the original of Reeves in a Gi... - phatty 08:20:01 09/19/06 (0)
- Re: Hollywoodland: Laying Superman to rest . . . - rico 08:04:31 09/10/06 (7)
- Affleck was a surprise . . . he may turn into something someday. * - mr grits 09:57:34 09/10/06 (6)
- Re: Affleck was a surprise . . . he may turn into something someday. * - rico 10:40:14 09/10/06 (5)
- Boiler Room: his best? nt - tinear 07:02:29 09/12/06 (1)
- Certainly *one of* his best. - Harmonia 14:38:24 09/12/06 (0)
- He was also good in Shakespeare In Love, but sadly, his big budget "star" vehicles tend to suck pond water. (nt) - Audiophilander 09:44:21 09/11/06 (0)
- Just got back from "Illusionist" -- Norton would have been perfect for the Brody role. * - mr grits 17:37:21 09/10/06 (1)
- Both films are excellent, but I thought Brody was as fine in Hollywoodland as Norton was in The Illusionist. (nt) - Audiophilander 09:51:18 09/11/06 (0)