Hollywoodland (2006, USA)

I’ll somewhat reluctantly join the critics who praised Ben Affleck in Hollywoodland. Perhaps it’s that he understands the psyche of the fading star? For whatever reason, he’s good as George Reeves, the first television Superman, whose career floundered after the series was canceled and who subsequently committed suicide in 1959.

Unfortunately, the film flounders when it strays from Reeves’ life and focuses on the detective (Adrien Brody) looking to prove that the actor’s death was murder. Brody’s storyline just isn’t compelling, and the concentration on his family problems is entirely superfluous. Reeves’ story ends up being weighed down by this framework and the interwoven flashback sequences used to link past and present – just as it’s gaining momentum, we’re thrown back to the loser gumshoe and the movie comes to a standstill.

On an unrelated note, it’s rare to see a movie set in Los Angeles – particularly period-era Los Angeles – that feels so undefined by its setting. Director Alan Coulter chooses to set the bulk of his scenes in homes, apartment buildings, and other private settings, completely avoiding the customary establishing shots of famous Hollywood locations. It’s actually quite refreshing, and keeps the focus trained on the characters – it’s just unfortunate that half the story doesn’t warrant it.