Adrien Brody’s star dims in ‘Hollywoodland’

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In theaters

HOLLYWOODLAND, directed by Allen Coulter, written by Paul Bernbaum, 126 minutes, rated R.

Some of us are still waiting for the movie in which Adrien Brody once again reveals the greatness he showcased in his Academy Award-winning performance in “The Pianist.” Where has it gone? It wasn’t on display in M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village,” which squandered his talent, nor did it come through in Peter Jackson’s “King Kong,” which wasn’t exactly a surprise given the star of the movie was its special effects.

Still, in the noirish undercurrent of “Hollywoodland,” whose trailer suggests the promise of a movie that might be on par with “L.A. Confidential,” there is the expectation that this could be a return to form for the actor.

It isn’t.

As the fictional Louis Simo, a troubled private detective with a fractured home life, Brody is only ever competent in a movie that embraces competence, not the greatness it could have achieved given the intriguing story at its core.

The film involves the potential mystery surrounding the violent death of George Reeves (Ben Affleck), who played Superman in the 1950s television series “Adventures of Superman” before allegedly shooting himself in the head when he realized that he had never been seen as anything more than the Man of Steel. The key here is “allegedly.” Could it be that Reeves didn’t commit suicide and that his death was murder? It’s up to Simo to find out.

If the very title of “Hollywoodland” makes it sound as authentic as a back-lot set, Paul Bernbaum’s script reinforces that notion. Rarely in this movie are you aware that you aren’t watching actors going through the motions of making a movie. Performances by Diane Lane as Reeves’ older lover, Toni Mannix, and Bob Hoskins as Toni’s husband and MGM studio executive, Eddie Mannix, join much of the rest of the cast in their inability to connect with material too scattered to generate something real.

The movie isn’t a total bust. Production values are excellent, the 1950s are seamlessly evoked, and Affleck makes an effort to do something more challenging than his embarrassing rash of recent films, “Gigli,” “Daredevil” and “Surviving Christmas” chief among them. Better yet, the film offers a memorable supporting performance by Lois Smith as Reeves’ mother, who hires Simo to learn the truth about Reeves’ death, and who holds the screen better than anyone else. She is magnetic and unshakable, giving each of her scenes an interest and a weight the movie otherwise lacks.

In the end, though, there isn’t enough of her to suit, and after a while, pretty sets can become pretty boring if there isn’t something compelling occurring within them.

This is director Allen Coulter’s first theatrical effort and by the final third of the film, he loses control of it – plot threads are dropped, characters lose clarity, the production seems rushed, Brody’s performance unwinds. Watching the film itself unwind, it becomes clear that this is the movie Coulter and Bernbaum should have made in the twilight of their careers, when Hollywood had had its way with them. Perhaps then they would have been armed with something meaningful to say. Maybe then they would have seen Reeves clearly.

Grade: C

On DVD

Three new Blu-ray releases and a DVD suited for families are recent offerings from Warner, the best of which is Mel Brooks’ outrageous comedy “Blazing Saddles,” which is so funny, you barely notice how terrific it looks in its high-definition transfer (a second viewing changes that). For a Western set in 1874 and filmed in 1974, the film practically looks new. The rich, racy dialogue retains its fresh punch, with Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cleavon Little, Slim Pickens and Brooks himself adding to the melee. One of our best.

Faring less well on Blu-ray is “Firewall,” a huffer and a puffer in which poor Harrison Ford looks oddly pale as he’s kicked, bludgeoned, slapped, scratched and tossed out windows as Jack Stanfield, a Seattle-based network security chief for a national chain of banks who is ordered to rob his own bank – and deposit $100 million into offshore accounts – or his family dies. Logic would suggest that Jack would put his family first and deal with the authorities later. But no. Instead, he repeatedly makes a wealth of stupid decisions that almost kill his family, and which essentially firebomb the movie.

Those who were happier with Mel Gibson when he was known for his mullet and not his Malibu rants might appreciate the Blu-ray release of “Lethal Weapon,” in which Gibson and Danny Glover first appeared in what remains the best film in their buddy-cop franchise. The action is swift and unrelenting, with director Richard Donner shrewdly putting as much emphasis on the skill behind the stunts as he does with the relationship between Riggs (Gibson) and Murtaugh (Glover).

Finally, there’s “Saving Shiloh,” the last movie in the “Shiloh” trilogy, which is intended for younger audiences, but which isn’t dumbed down with the usual cliches and condescension that tend to accompany films for children.

This unapologetically old-fashioned throwback about a boy (Jason Dolley), his dog, Shiloh, and the abusive yet misunderstood alcoholic next door (Scott Wilson), has something on its mind – whether personal redemption is possible and how a community can influence change. Giving the film its modest, family-friendly heat are a murder, a car wreck, escaped convicts, a river rescue. The predictable plot is a straightforward shot to the end, yet the performances are more layered than you expect and there is a refreshing lack of over-reaching sentiment.

“Blazing Saddles” – A+; “Firewall” – D; “Lethal Weapon” – B+; “Saving Shiloh” – B

Visit www.weekinrewind.com, the archive of Bangor Daily News film critic Christopher Smith’s reviews, which appear Mondays in Discovering, Fridays in Happening, and Weekends in Television. He may be reached at Christopher@weekinrewind.

com.

The Video-DVD Corner

Renting a video or a DVD? NEWS film critic Christopher Smith can help. Below are his grades of recent releases in video stores. Those in bold print are new to video stores this week.

Akeelah and the Bee – B+

ATL – B-

Basic Instinct 2 – D+

The Benchwarmers – D

Big Momma’s House 2 – D

The Bill Cosby Show: Season One – B

Blazing Saddles – A+

Breakfast on Pluto – B

Brokeback Mountain – A-

Capote – A

Cheaper by the Dozen 2 – C-

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – A

The Constant Gardener – A-

Date Movie – D-

Derailed – C+

Double Indemnity – A

Eight Below – B+

Everybody Loves Raymond: Season 7 – A-

Failure to Launch – C-

The Family Stone – D

Firewall: Blu-Ray – D

Freedomland – C-

Friends with Money – B

Gilmore Girls: Season 6 – B+

The Hills Have Eyes – D

A History of Violence – A

House of Wax: HD DVD – D

Howl’s Moving Castle – A-

Inside Man – B+

Junebug – A

Kinky Boots – B+

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – B+

Last Holiday – B

Lethal Weapon: Blu-Ray – B+

The Libertine – D

Lucky Number Slevin – B

The Matador – B+

Match Point – A

Munich – A-

Nanny McPhee – B-

North Country – C

Paradise Now – A-

Poseidon – B

Pride & Prejudice – A

The Producers – B+

Red Eye – B+

Rumor Has It… – C-