SNMR 4.19: "Hollywoodland"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "Hollywoodland" (2006, R, 127 minutes), starring Ben Affleck, Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, Bob Hoskins, Robin Tunney and Lois Smith. The film was directed by Allen Coulter.

This is one of those films that looked really good in the movie trailers and one that I wanted to see in the cinema but never got around to it. While the movie was good, I'm glad I didn't spend the money to go and see it.

PLOT SUMMARY: Biopic of the late actor George Reeves (Affleck), who played the lead role in the 1950's TV series "Adventures of Superman", and the tragic events surrounding his murder/suicide on June 16, 1959. Louis Simo (Brody) is a private investigator who doesn't think the actor shot himself to death. Who could have done it? Was it the seductive, scheming fiancee' Leonore Lemmon (Tunney), the spurned lover Toni Mannix (Lane), the enraged husband EJ Mannix (Hoskins) or was it really a suicide? Hollywood still doesn't know for sure.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS MOVIE: I'm not a huge Ben Affleck fan, but he was very credible as George Reeves and gives an excellent performance. Diane Lane has long been one of my favorite actresses and is still underrated in my opinion. I like the way the film goes back and forth between real time and flashbacks rather seamlessly. I appreciate the ending of the movie, which paints equally all of the suspects with guilt and motives, but doesn't presuppose any one over the other, leaving the case as it stands today with still many unanswered questions.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT THIS MOVIE: The movie is very deliberate and has a slow pace to it, which bogs down the story at times.

**** out of *****