Really Surprised!

Excellent adaptation.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Allen Coulter's "Hollywoodland" is a fine film which people have invented all kinds of silly reasons to dislike. Chief among them, of course, is that the mystery of George Reeves's death remains unresolved. (Never mind that the particulars of the "Adventures of Superman" star's demise are still being debated as hotly in real life as they are in the movie: audiences crave a tidy ending above all else.) But this film is not a murder mystery in the generally accepted sense of the term; nor is it a conventional period piece. It's a movie with an overtly ethical message and a dark, tragic tone to match, like a Raymond Chandler or Ross Macdonald novel. Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins give powerful, impressive performances, and even the smaller roles are perfectly cast: Jeffrey DeMunn is especially memorable as Reeves's gentle, kindhearted agent. If you enjoy "Hollywoodland" as much as I do, you'll immediately want to see it again. If you balk after the first half-hour and turn your attention to a video game, well...I think you're missing out on a deeply worthwhile film. Just one reviewer's opinion.

The violent death of a famous actor prompts an opportunistic private investigator to kick up a media storm with allegations of murder, but what trouble awaits him when vicious thugs from the movie industry are drawn into the frame?Elaborate noir with a down on his luck outsider, a femme fatale, feckless dames, and a twisty plot that spins a web of confusion without tearing apart. It's a fictionalised bio of the famous actor, which exaggerates quite a bit to increase the sense of tragedy and generate mystery. The atmosphere of '50s Hollywood is well done, and we're presented with a cycle of broken lives all trying desperately to feed off each other. The one inch of solid ground is provided by the actor's agent, who concludes with a non-committal act. So it's nihilistic, but there's plenty of passion and emotion - especially the sadness of loss.The performances are good, although I find it hard to accept the lead actor as a tough guy. As Marlowe would say: "no iron in his bones". The climax is good, but didn't pack a full punch for me - I think maybe the b&w footage of the wrestling audition didn't give the intended insight.The music is good, plenty of sorrowful brass. Highlight of the photography is flame-lighting of faces from dozens of cigarette scenes.Overall: Well paced genre piece that ends up solid rather than awe-inspiring.

Hollywoodland is about about the death of actor George Reeves (played by Ben Affleck), the star of the 1950s television series Adventures of Superman. Adrien Brody co-stars as a fictional character, Louis Simo, a private detective investigating Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), who was involved in a long romantic relationship with Reeves and was the common-law wife of MGM studio executive Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins). Reeves had ended the affair and had become engaged to a younger woman, aspiring actress Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney). Even tho it's slow as a film i think it succeeds on what it tries to accomplish you have a really good cast in a good movie the performances are very well done and the final verdict of the film is good and it tries to show you that Hollywood is not that innocent as we all think it is.

Hollywoodland is a biographical docudrama that documents a fictional account of the investigation surrounding the death of actor George Reeves,played by Ben Affleck,the star of the 1950s TV series Adventures of Superman. Adrien Brody plays Louis Simo, a fictional down-on-his-luck private investigator on the case, as he questions Toni Mannix,portrayed by Diane Lane, who was involved in a long romantic relationship with Reeves and was the wife of MGM studio executive Eddie Mannix. Reeves had ended the affair and had become engaged to a younger woman, aspiring actress Leonore Lemmon.Bob Hoskins,Molly Parker,Robin Tunney,Caroline Dhavernas and Kathleen Robertson play key supporting roles.It was directed by Allen Coulter.This movie is well worth seeing as it explores an intriguing bit of Hollywood history, and through the strength of its performances keeps us engaged and entertained. Affleck does a terrific job with this role as Reeves. Also,in presenting its mystery as a set of plausible scenarios, it 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 called Hollywoodland where dreams don't always come true.