Hollywoodland (2006) mini review

pertaining to comics
[8/10]

On June 16, 1959, George Reeves, known to the world as Superman after appearing in Adventures of Superman from 1952 to 1958, committed suicide. Hollywoodland delves into the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death.

Adrien Brody is Louis Simo, a private investigator who gets pulled into the mystery when it appears the death might not be a simple suicide. The film creatively cuts back and forth between Reeves's life and Simo's investigations. Brody is excellent as the second-rate investigator trying to make a buck, and Ben Affleck is surprisingly good as Reeves. The film explores his well-known affair with Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), wife of MGM executive Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins), and his engagement to Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney). The cast is perfect; while I've never been overly impressed with her role on Prison Break, Tunney does well as Reeves's fiancée.

It's a completely absorbing, well-made film, investigating the nearly 50-year-old question - who was responsible for the death of George Reeves? His fiancée? His ex-girlfriend or her husband? Or was it Superman himself?


See it if you want to see the best Superman film to come out in 2006.

Don't see it if you're more about the action than the drama.

for further reading, start with the Wikipedia article on George Reeves, and the Straight Dope article on his death