Hollywoodland

George Reeves was television's first casualty, said Roger Moore in the Orlando Sentinel. Hollywoodland 'œexamines Reeves' life and death with a noirish flair,' from the pudgy hunk's initial failure as a big-screen leading man, through his success playing Superman on the small screen, to his mysterious death in 1959. Suicide was suspected, but doubts lingered, and first-time director Allen Coulter has turned Reeves' sad tale into a movie-industry murder mystery. His 'œelegant biodrama' benefits from Ben Affleck's affecting turn as Reeves, said Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly. 'œThe Society for the Rehabilitation of Thespian Reputations would be proud' of Gigli's leading man, who is fierce and funny as a man who finds fame but still feels he's washed up. Unfortunately, Affleck isn't the star of the film, said Peter Rainer in The Christian Science Monitor. Top-billed Adrien Brody, as a detective investigating Reeves' death, seems to be aping 'œevery lowlife from every film noir ever made.' Though Hollywoodland explores various pulpy explanations of Reeves' death, it never commits. Instead, 'œthe filmmakers leave it to us to find out.' What kind of mystery is that?

Rating: R

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