Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
A uniquely compelling exploration fo fame & identity inspired by one of hollywoods most infamous real-life mysteries. The glamou of tinseltown permanently fades for actor george reeves t.V.s superman as the actor dies. Behind the icon was a complex man who gave his life to hollywood in more ways than one Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 01/27/2009 Starring: Adrien Brody Ben Affleck Run time: 127 minutes Rating: R

Amazon.com:
The fact-based mystery of Hollywoodland takes place in 1959, when the death of Adventures of Superman TV star George Reeves cast a pall over the waning days of golden-age Hollywood. As written by Paul Bernbaum, this intriguing whodunit effectively evokes the tainted atmosphere that surrounded Reeves' death (officially ruled a suicide but never conclusively solved), and speculates on circumstances to suggest that Reeves may have been murdered. In combining the melancholy course of Reeves' career with the investigation of a down-and-out private detective into the possible causes of Reeves' death, the film evolves into an engrossing study of parallels between lives on either side of the Hollywood dream. Building upon a distinguished career in TV including episodes of HBO's The Sopranos, Rome and Six Feet Under, director Allen Coulter finds a satisfying balance between the tragic overtones of the Reeves case and the time-honored elements of the gumshoe genre, with Adrien Brody doing fine work as private eye Louis Simo, a fictional composite character who is our conduit to the desperate yearnings of Reeves' final months.

In a critically acclaimed performance, Ben Affleck plays Reeves in moody flashbacks, caught between Superman stardom and financial dependence on his lover Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), the somewhat predatory wife of Hollywood "fixer" and MGM honcho Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins), whose mob connections suggest foul play as Simo's investigation progresses. Reeves' subsequent lover (played by Robin Tunney) may also be culpable, and as Simo's own personal life unravels, his empathy for Reeves takes on added significance. In presenting its mystery as a set of plausible scenarios, Hollywoodland holds interest as a mystery that's refreshingly compassionate toward the fate of its characters. Warts and all, they're likable dreamers in a town where dreams don't always come true. --Jeff Shannon

Rating : - Such Wasted Promise
Hollywoodland is a movie with such great promise. It has a great premise, fantastic actors, and a connection to my childhood memories of watching reruns of Superman.

Unfortunately all of that promise is squandered by a mediocre (at best) script. While Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, and Bob Hoskins create some fantastic characters, and Ben Affleck doesn't totally stink up the joint, they are stuck with boring lines.

George (Ben Affleck) comes off as a very likeable, yet tragic figure. While he rocketed to success as Superman, that success kept him from doing any other acting. He was forever typecast as The Man of Steel. A really solid and entertaining biography could have been made about the rise and fall of this American icon.

While the movie centers around the real-life death of George Reeves, the man who played Superman in the 1950's tv show, the movie lacks any real tension or necessity. It is really more of an exercise in exploring the three main suspects in his death (the mistress, the fiancée, and himself).

Adrian Brody plays the role of Louis Simo, a down on his luck private investigator. Simo is investigating the apparent suicide of George Reeves. The deeper he digs, the more he realizes that "the big blue boy scout" didn't lead such a clean life. Again, this would have made for a very entertaining movie on its own.

Unfortunately, the script cannot handle the mashing together of two movies and the actors spend the entire movie tripping all over each other. That is too bad. I had such high hopes for the movie.

Recommended for the great actors. Not recommended for the actual movie.