Fridae

No one thinks of Ben Affleck as a serious actor. But in Hollywoodland, he delivers a surprisingly subtle and moving performance as George Reeves, a real-life Hollywood actor who became famous in the 1950s for playing Superman on television. George, unfortunately, was never satisfied with his role as the Man of Steel. He disliked having mostly kids and comic readers for his fan base. He wanted to be the next Clark Gable, a leading man in full-length films.

His despair and desperation were evident to those around him. Then, in 1959, he was found dead. The police classified it as suicide. But when a private detective (Adrien Brody) is hired to dig into the case, he discovers that the circumstances of George's death may not have been as straightforward as they seemed...

Hollywoodland is a moody and intelligent detective drama hoping to be the next Chinatown and L.A. Confidential. But, directed by Allen Coulter, it is somewhat too calculated and derivative to really be the noir film of 2006/07.

What it does have going for it are the strong performances by a graceful Ben Affleck, a typically seductive Diane Lane (as his lover), a spot-on Adrien Brody and a pitch perfect Bob Hoskins (as a studio fixer). Serious movigoers may also be appreciate the film's sharp critique of power and celebrity in Hollywood, a fairytale land filled with myth, magic, madness and even murder