Hollywoodland
The tragic mystery of the death of George Reeves, TV’s first Superman, is a fascinating story in and of itself. Adrian Brody plays a low-rent private detective looking into the matter, not with much faith or gusto, but just to pay the rent. Reeves (a restrained and delightful Ben Affleck) had taken the role, his most iconic and ultimately an albatross around his neck, to pay the rent as well. The screenplay’s structure is a coiling trail through Brody’s investigations and Reeves’ brief moments in the spotlight. As the pieces fall into (or out of) place, the story grows more interesting.
What was marvelous for me were the parallels between Reeves’ dreams of being an actor and how his dreams were affected by his child fans, and how deeply affecting his death was to his fans. Was he eaten by the role, suicidal and stuck, or was he murdered for reasons very un-Supermanly indeed? We may never know, but the journey is played out in a back and forth structure that felt satisfying even without a solid conclusion. It’s interesting to see a world as recent as 1959 so deeply lacking in critical thinking or analysis, whether it’s in the form of police work or a child holding a loaded gun on an actor or the whole Red Scare.
Affleck is great in this movie. You may recall that he was also great playing an actor in Shakespeare in Love. It is a sorry thing indeed if an actor is better at playing a man putting on airs than he is playing a regular character, but I believe that Affleck did this role proud. I would also guess that his travails as the less exciting half of his original Bennifer pairing helped him find the right level of angst and frustration with Reeves’ sense of captivity in his life and roles. Reeves aspired to be a Great Actor, but was weighed down by audience expectations. Many modern and historical Hollywood actors can claim the same burden, but Reeves’ super-clean Superman and his American Way limited him further. Affleck infuses the role with what feels like the right petulance, arrogance, insecurity, ambition, and condescension.
Brody is a great actor, but Affleck made this picture. Brody’s underfed, sad-sack face are great for a private eye looking to get famous off the death of the famous, but he lacks an inner seediness that is required for us to believe he does not care. Diane Lane plays the sexy older moll who takes Reeves under her wing. She is seductive and possessive and glamorous and scared, a perfect foil to her charge. Reeves was trying to live the Hollywood version of the American Dream, and also portray justice and the American way as part of his job, but at the same time he wanted to take advantage of the decadent world he was working so hard to become a part of. And in the end, where was the justice in his passing? It’s a thoughtful and interesting movie, and it’s worth seeing just for Ben.
MPAA Rating R-language, some violence and sexual content
Release date 9/8/06
Time in minutes 126
Director Allen Coulter
Studio Focus and Miramax
