Who killed George Reeves? Was it his mistress? Or maybe it was his fiancée? It could be his mistress’s husband, the general manager of MGM.
In 1959, George Reeves, the actor who played the first televised Superman, was found shot dead in his Los Angles home. The LAPD confirmed it was suicide but since then, many conspiracy theories have risen up because of the quick open and close nature of the official investigation and the various clues that were overlooked.
When I walked into this movie, I was expecting a mystery thriller like no other. The mystery of George Reeves case has so much potential. Although some of that potential is realized, “Hollywoodland” makes for a decent movie but nothing memorable.
“Hollywoodland” will not grip you on the edge of your seat with suspense but instead keep you waiting for the next clue as the film skips back and forth through time from Louis Sismo (Adrien Brody), the private detective investigating the murder/suicide case, and the private life of George Reeves (Ben Affleck).
“Hollywoodland” did accomplish what a mystery is supposed to do. You’ll wag your finger back and forth between the suspects trying to point out the culprit.. I started to wonder if the movie will really point the finger at the MGM manager since the MGM Corporation still exists and I didn’t hear of any backlash from them in the media. So that ruled him out in my mind which really only led to one reasonable conclusion. Which I won’t mention here. Go see the movie yourself. Those studios could really use your money.
The casting however was well done. Ben Affleck is the perfect choice for a has-been, untalented but very charming actor trying to reinvent himself and rekindle his career. Adrien Brody plays a bit of a clichéd portrayal of a private investigator but he somehow manages to give it a fresh spin.
If there were any part of this movie that I truly enjoyed, it would have to be the last ten minutes where everything ties together and I finally realize what this movie is trying to say. The rest of the time, I’m just waiting for “Hollywoodland” to get to the point.