Hollywoodland

[Deleted]

I feel the exact same way, I've never gotten this excited about a Ben Affleck movie and I LOVE the guy. I'm so happy he's finally getting good reviews for something.

I saw him on Leno the other night and from the way he was talking he was really invested in this role and tried really really hard, it was so sweet to see how much he cares about the movie.

[Deleted]

I am seeing this the moment it comes out. That is all.

[plush]

I just saw this movie and it was okay. I still don't understand the big fuss over Ben . Was he that horrible before than the improvement is so noticeable, 'cause I certainly didn't think he was exceptional. He was good, but imo Adrien Brody and Diane Lane rocked a lot more.

[huntergrayson]

I saw it this afternoon and I thought, frankly, Adrien Brody kinda sucked. Or his storyline did. Because, previews aside, there is NO mystery and no detecting going on. People literally just call him up and give him clues.

But I may be biased since I have a fanatical hatred of both framing devices and Rashomon-like takes, especially when poorly executed.

Ben (and, yes, Diane. Not too mention Robin Tunney) were a whole lot more interesting but the movie kept drifting away from them. My friend thought Ben wasn't that great, I firmly disagree. He came off as both charming and funny but you always saw how much pain and need there was behind that - maybe that's true of all actors, to some degree. Because his performance carries such a degree of self-deprecation and, well, the classic Hollywood heroism, I think it is almost easy to dismiss.

He and Diane have one scene that is a sheer emotional knockout - the she makes me feel young scene. I got chills and felt like I was watching a Virginina Woolf outtake.

These two are the whole point of the film, right? And yet because Adrien needs to be a better daddy they remain not nearly as developed as they should be. How about being a better detective, instead!? And you know, solving your case. Yeah, I know there were supposed to be parallels or whatever, but again, the execution lacked. I thought it would've been more intriguing to parallel him and the studio publicist, both playing the media.

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I thought Adrien Brody was boring as hell, his storyline was incredibly predictable and cliched and totally unnecessary. And you're right huntergrayson, he didn't actually do any detecting. I don't get why they'd make a movie about one of the most intriguing mysteries in Hollywood and then spend most of the movie with a fictional character in a fictional story.

I don't think they went as deep into George Reeve's life as they could have. There was so much they could have covered, like when he was a boxer, when he was in the war, his failed marriage, etc... I thought Ben did great, he seemed to really nail the motivations for this guy. It's probably his best role to date. Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins kicked all kinds of ass, I love them.

[Deleted]

Saw this tonight. I love Adrien but he didn't have much to do. The bits I liked where when he swarmily kept getting into the shot with George's mother and when he showed up drunk at his son's school. Those scenes gave him something to work with and he rose to the occasion, but aside from that his storyline was pretty underdeveloped. I didn't like the son's hero worship of Reeves; seemed like an anvil.

Ben was great. I think he does deserve a best supporting actor nom. I'm not a big fan of Diane Lane because I feel like every role she does is as the sexy older woman who bangs the younger guy - but ruh-roh! There's complications! I feel like she should do something else.

The ending seemed kind of thin. I know there wasn't really anything they could do because it's an unsolved mystery, but still.

"Hollywoodland" was still the sign when George started out. Gone With the Wind was 1939. So the title doesn't bother me. It's better than the old one (Truth Justice & the American Way, which Marvel wouldn't let them use. Marvel only caved at the last minute and let them use the Superman S on the costumes, too, the idiots. Like not showing him in the costume would somehow erase the Superman connection).

[girlnamedcarl]

Saw it over the weekend; very much on the same page as the rest of y'all regarding the good performances from Affleck and Lane and the general waste of Brody. I found myself wanting to stay in the flashbacks rather than return to the investigation.

I'm not a big fan of Diane Lane because I feel like every role she does is as the sexy older woman who bangs the younger guy

Yeah, I was telling J. that it seems like she's Hollywood's go-to MILF actress. And that's gotta feel weird. Still, I'm glad she's getting the work, 'cause I think she's quite good.

[Deleted]

Guess I'm in the minority, because I thought Ben Affleck was terrible in the role. He seemed to be trying so hard, but imo just didn't carry off the "suave, devil may care" attitude that he seemed to be striving for. He seemed so wooden and just wasn't plausible as the object of Diane Lane's passions--she was great, but I didn't get at all why she was so crazy about George (from this movie).
It's too bad there didn't seem to be much of a plot other than Adrian Brody moodily contemplating various murder scenarios, but he did a decent job portraying his character.
I also liked the guy who played George's agent.

[ennui]

I didn't like the son's hero worship of Reeves; seemed like an anvil.

I think the son was important, if only to illustrate how children reacted to the news. If you know someone who was a child when George Reeves died, especially a male, they can tell you it was devastating. Innocent times, before we all became jaded and disillusioned.

Imho, this film is fairly subtle, so perhaps in that context, the son is an anvil. They conveyed a lot through Simo's wardrobe; a man in the 1950s would never wear a t-shirt to discuss business with a client. Brody only wears a tie in the very last scene, and that says a lot about the character.

I liked the movie, even though it made me very sad. People with big dreams, who end up living messy lives.

There were less than 10 people in the theatre when I saw this. The film is much better than that.

[bklynred]

Saw this today. Adrien Brody's storylines were sloooow for me. It's like they were built in for bathroom and popcorn breaks. Overall though, I enjoyed this. Reeves took a chance doing what a lot of actors probably did at the time, and for whatever reason, it wasn't enough; it backfired, badly. ennui, the movie left me feeling sad as well.

OTOH, Diane Lane will always get me to a movie; she's fabulous.