Mr. Mike makes a shocking discovery-a movie where Ben Affleck doesn't suck!With a little time off from work, I had an opportunity to watch some movies. I've decided to create a new heading for movies I see on DVD instead of the movie theater, called DVD Reviews. I've seen a bunch of stuff lately and will lead off with Hollywoodland.
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Hollywoodland (2006)
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This movie is about the career of George (Superman) Reeves in the 1950s and his mysterious death. Reeves died at his home with a gunshot through his head. Was it suicide? Was it murder? With Rashoman style replays of the scenario, the movie doesn't give a firm answer but does solve Hollywood's greatest mystery: Does Ben Affleck have any talent at all?
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After giving a strong performance as a big hearted lunkhead in Good Will Hunting, Affleck proceeded to take a series of roles ranging from character parts to leading man star turns. He was uniformly unconvincing in all of them. I never felt I was viewing a character in a movie as much as a male model who could read lines without stumbling. All of his scenes felt like someone taking a break from his real job, which would probably be getting press for his love life and partying.
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Despite this nuisance, Affleck would not have made much of a difference to me except he started to take his non acting to movies I wanted to see. He starred in Daredevil, a comic I enjoyed growing up. I've only seen parts of this movie because I did not believe Affleck was: a) blind, b) a lawyer, c) an acrobatic superhero or d)any of the above. Watching his future wife Alias' Jennifer Garner school him in every scene on all levels didn't help. Then Affleck tackled the Tom Clancy franchise, taking over from the King of all Action Films, Harrison Ford. When the commercials for The Sum Of All Fears featured more James Earl Jones than Affleck, I knew it wasn't going to be pretty. I haven't seen this movie to this day and still don't plan to.
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So with Hollywoodland I went in wondering what I would see. Fortunately, Affleck was not carrying the whole movie as Adrian Brody and Diane Lane had sizeable parts (and are uniformly good in this movie). Surprisingly, Affleck holds up his end of the bargin and for the very first time was believable as a character. Going Deniro with his body weight and facial makeup, Affleck delivers a touching performance as ambitous, slow witted George Reeves.
Ambivalent about his kiddie TV fame, Reeves became frustrated with his inability to get dramatic starring roles and eventually ended a long term relationship with a studio head's wife (Diane Lane). Reeves dies in his bedroom shortly after and is listed as a suicide until a private eye is hired to look into it. Adrian Brody's private eye is twitchy and cynical as he tries to get as much publicity for himself as possible. The story of Reeve's career is told in parallel to Brody's investigation, both delving into the lure of fame and the corruption of power it masks. Echoes of Chinatown and LA Confidential color Hollywoodland, but the movie has enough substance to stand on its own.
By the end of Hollywoodland, I came away with a better understanding of the George Reeves saga and a satisfied feeling of seeing a decent modern noir flick. And to my surprise, some grudging respect for Ben Affleck. From Jenny on the Block to this. Did not see it coming.
Other quick reviews:
White Light Black Rain (2007)-A moving documentary about the effects of the A Bombs dropped at the end of World War II. Both the American bombers and the Japanese victims are interviewed in a very even handed way. It shows fairly graphic pictures of the bomb victims in all states of injury and death, yet only enough to make its point. The movie ends with a No Nukes stance that feels justified and earned afterwards. Very good.
Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny (2006)-I like Jack Black and like heavy metal, so on paper this should be a great movie. Too bad it sucks ass. Black works manically to build up the funny and falls flat. A total waste of time.
The Holiday (2006) - A Jack Black doubleheader! The latest attempt by Nora Ephron to recapture that When Harry Met Sally / Sleepless in Seattle magic, two women frustrated by their love lives switch homes and continents for a vacation. Of course, they unexpectedly encounter love and all of the other standard trappings of a rom com. As far as chick flicks go, The Holiday isn't bad and gives the actors (Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black) a chance to play something lighter than their usual fare. It's enjoyable to watch Diaz and Black reign in their hyperactive deliveries while Law and Winslet avoid the dark dramatics for which they are known. The Holiday runs a little long, if it was a half hour shorter it would have been much better.
The Keeper (2004) - Is an awful movie that I watched because I was suffering from insomnia. Dennis Hopper plays a cop who is crazy (big surprise there) and keeps a stripper locked in his basement to "train" her to be a good person. Asia Argentino plays the stripper. Hopper and Argentino do the best they can with the derivative script to build up the creeps. To bad they are sabotaged by unrealistic characters such as the ambitious television producer. Bor-ing.
Howl's Moving Castle (2004) - by animator Hiyako Miyazaki is an excellent film meant to entertain the family. A facinating fantasy, Castle tells the story of a teenage hat shop owner who is cursed by a witch to be 90 years old. The teenager becomes the cleaning lady for a wizard who's house can travel across distance and dimensions. In the meantime, the wizards and witches are being called upon to fight a war that wizard Howl wants no part of. The animation is detailed and imaginative, the story is remarkably original and comes across as a dark fairy tale. Some of the sinister moments may scare small children, but I felt it was on par with classic Disney.Since Roger Ebert has trademarked the "Thumbs Up/Down" bit, I'll have to use the heavy metal "devil horns". I looked up on the internet how to do this.
Hollywoodland \m/
White Light Black Rain \m/
Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny /w\
The Holiday \m/
The Keeper /w\
Howl's Moving Castle \m/
And I'll see you...in the balcony. Wait, that's probably trademarked too. Take two. And I'll see you...standing in a slow line at Blockbuster Video! Why does it take 10 minutes to rent a video anyway?
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