Who Killed the Murder Mystery?

Hollywoodland fails to squeeze out the juiciest parts of a Tinsel Town murder.
by Eric Otto
Rating: 2 out of 5

HBO director-alumnus Allen Coulter makes his feature film debut with Hollywoodland, an attempt to shine a little L.A. Confidential on the death of actor George Reeves, the 1950’s TV Superman. It’s fun to watch Ben Affleck in the role of a square serial actor whose campy TV foray struck gold, only to watch his career sputter, tethered to the steely man in blue tights. It’s easy to target Affleck, but he’s actually excellent playing a Hollywood ham while also adding a touch of depth to the role, making it one of the best things going for this rambling wayward murder mystery in search of, well, a mystery.

Hollywoodland is actually the story of a fictional character, Louis Simo (Adrian Brody)—a loser of a private dick. Brody is an exceedingly capable actor, and he plays every chord of Simo’s character, but there’s not much here to care about. Simo is a prick, and though the pursuit of truth in the Reeves murder/suicide is supposed to raise his consciousness, a capable actor like Brody can only emote so much when asked to stand expressionless repeatedly in front of the murder scene. Films that show actors empathizing in thought might as well show them sleeping—there’s nothing more boring than watching someone think. Worse, each time Simo returns to the scene of the crime, Hollywoodland dramatizes what might have happened; the first enactment is the most sensational, but each subsequent reinterpretation becomes less and less interesting as the script slowly erases its own drama.

The year is 1959. The low-life drudge of cheating spouses spurs private detective Simo to fish for a hot lead from a detective buddy, and into his lap falls the suicide of actor Reeves. Simo attempts to stir the publicity pot for himself by outing the LAPD and resuscitating the case in the papers. Hollywoodland then begins a convoluted parallel narrative that switches between Simo’s investigation and Reeves’ story. Most notably, or infamously, Reeves was the hush-hush lover of Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), wife of powerful MGM executive Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins). Reeves pines for a solid role, but has to accept demeaning casting calls, one of which is Superman. Rolling with the punches of the low budget production, the square jawed actor hits gold with the superhero—at least in the eyes of every 12 year old. But when he attempts to secure regular acting gigs, his career chokes on his typecast role. Trying to set up his own production company during a New York trip, he runs into Lenore Lemmon (Robin Tunney) and falls in love. Mrs. Mannix becomes hysterical when she discovers the affair and Reeves’ plan to marry Lemmon.

Did the powerful studio head orchestrate Reeves’ murder to protect his wife? Did Lemmon kill him after a drunken argument? Was Reeves despondent and turned to suicide? Hollywoodland plays every angle like a tabloid would, but without the juicy, scandalous glee of Kenneth Anger’s Hollywood Babylon books. The layered cutting between Simo’s present and Reeves past can’t hold up—Simo just isn’t that compelling a character. Simo’s own backstory is filled with bitterness and hard luck; he doesn’t know how to talk to his kid or ex-wife without yelling, leaving little with which to sympathize. Hollywood’s an easy target, and everyone sadistically loves a tragedy in this town, but though Hollywoodland gets kudos for a polished production design, looks ain’t enough when you want your murder juicy. LAA

Rated R; Opens Sept. 8 in select theaters.