Ever write off a movie based solely on the buzz? I did that with Hollywoodland before I’d ever heard the actual title – someone asked, “did you hear about Ben Affleck’s new movie? I hear it stinks.” Given Affleck’s recent string of box office flops, that’s all it took for me to avoid the film.
Of course, it’s not just an Affleck movie; it also stars Adrien Brody (The Pianist), Diane Lane (Under the Tuscan Sun) and Bob Hoskins (Mrs. Henderson Presents). As expected, these actors turn in fine performances, creating characters that keep viewers’ interest while the film meanders its way through one of Hollywood’s unsolved mysteries. The nice surprise here, though, is that Affleck (Surviving Christmas) more than holds his own with a superb performance as George Reeves. It’s easy to forget that Affleck is a talented actor, but if you think back to films like Shakespeare in Love and Good Will Hunting, his performance here is less of a surprise.
As for the story, Hollywoodland addresses the real-life mystery surrounding the death of George Reeves, star of 50’s TV show Adventures of Superman. The film starts about 45 minutes after Reeves’ death, with the police showing up at his house to investigate. The cause of death was a bullet in the head, and they call it a suicide. We soon learn, however, that there may be another explanation – or several – for why Superman is dead.
Enter Louis Simo (Brody), a down-on-his-luck private eye, who’s hired by Reeves’ mother to investigate the “suicide”. As the film plays out, the film switches back and forth between Simo’s investigation and Reeves’ life, alternating seamlessly between the two stories.
I won’t get into further detail on the plot, but I will say that this film hovers on the edge between well-paced and just plain slow. It’s always moving forward, but ultimately it dawdles to a stop at the end, when the film catches up with the reality that its topic is still a mystery 50 years later.
Beyond the actors’ fine performances, perhaps the biggest strength of Hollywoodland is its success as a period piece. The filmmakers did a great job recreating old Hollywood, with cinematography, production design, costuming, hair and make-up and the script all meshing together to give viewers the tangible sensation of watching the story unfold in a different era.
The main problem of Hollywoodland is two-fold. First, underneath the gloss of this film noire is a mystery that is, at least in this execution, at best only marginally compelling. As the film progressed, my interest was in the characters, and not the questions surrounding Reeves’ demise. Second, the film’s two narratives – Reeves life and the posthumous investigation – are not balanced in entertainment quality. I found myself much more interested in watching Affleck as Reeves than in Brody’s unfolding investigation. This experience highlights for me that this could have been a better film in biopic form.
In the end, Hollywoodland is a glossy period film built on a mystery that proves to be not much more than a sand foundation. So, how’s DVD?
Video
Hollywoodland is presented on a single disc, in 1.85:1 widescreen. It looks gorgeous. The film has an overall stylized presentation to help create that old Hollywood feel, and mixes in film noir touches like plenty of cigarette smoke and heavy emphasis on natural light. These aspects have been reproduced well by a transfer clean of compression issues or other artifacts, and with excellent contrast, sharp detail and consistent colours. The overall experience will likely have you appreciating the film’s aesthetic more than the story itself.
Menus are animated, and scored.
Audio
The main audio presentation is in Dolby Digital 5.1, and it does an excellent job. Hollywoodland is a dialogue-driven drama, so the overall mix is fairly subdued, but what’s here sounds clear and well-defined. Given the emphasis on dialogue, the front sound stage hogs the show, with surround channels only chipping in to expand the score, and to perhaps provide the occasional ambient effect.
Audio is also available in French in Dolby Digital 5.1. Subtitles offered are in English, French and Spanish.
Special Features
Hollywoodland offers up only an average set of bonus material, which is disappointing considering the film’s topic and its technical achievements. Here’s the rundown:
- Audio commentary: by first-time film director Allen Coulter. Aspiring filmmakers will probably enjoy this one, but I found it too technical for my tastes.
- Deleted Scenes: five scenes, five minutes. Here we see an expansion of the relationship between P.I. Simo and the LAPD detective. Interesting, but ultimately unnecessary.
- Re-creating Old Hollywood: all about production design, and getting the right look for the film. Worth watching to get behind-the-scenes about one of the film’s strongest traits.
- Behind the Headlines: this one covers the relationship between George Reeves’ mystery and P.I. Simo. Adds some depth to what we get from the film, but not enough.
- Hollywood Then and Now: an interesting look at the difference between 1950’s la-la land and present-day Hollywood. This would make a good topic for a full-length documentary; unfortunately, this piece is fairly short.
- Re-creating Old Hollywood: all about production design, and getting the right look for the film. Worth watching to get behind-the-scenes about one of the film’s strongest traits.
Finally, bonus material wraps up with a collection of film trailers.
Final Thoughts
Hollywoodland works well as a noir period piece, but struggles to keep the George Reeves mystery compelling. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this film is Ben Affleck’s triumphant return to good acting. As for the DVD, superb audio and video are its high points, with the special features lagging behind. Rent it before buying.
