This film is almost 10 years old now. I watched it a second time and I appreciated it much, much more the second time.I think it helped that I knew it's a tragedy, not a thriller. This is not action-filled, guns blazing. It's a rather sad story of a man who becomes trapped.I also like that it was not structured like a typical Hollywood film. It has a dual story line featuring Adrian Brody in one, with Ben Affleck and Diane Lane in the other. Yet it is also broken up into sequences - and during different sequences you're convinced a different suspect committed the murder.I think if you set your expectations to see a good character study, with sadness and triumph, you will enjoy this film. Also, there is a lot of subtlety to the film, little hints and clues that are not hammered at the viewer. The actors play it very soft, especially Diane Lane. She does a great job. There is a lot going on with her, a woman who is married to a wealthy man. But she would like something more. She's trapped also. All the characters are trapped in some way.

George Reeves was played beautifully by Ben Affleck. He plays the actor with compassion and depth. His 1959 suicide still raises questions decades later. Was it murder or suicide? We will never know. The film stars Adrien Brody as a private investigator Simo. This character is fictional. He investigates the man in the cape. George Reeves was a talented actor but he could never shed the Superman image. Superman gave him wealth and fame but it stunted his film career. George Reeves was also having a long term relationship with Toni Lanier Mannix, Edgar Mannix's wife. The Mannixes had an open marriage. Toni is played wonderfully by Diane Lane. Adrien Brody's Simo is a complex character where he tries to find answers for himself and especially his young son who idealized Superman. Lois Smith is perfect as George's grieving mother. Funny we never see mother and son together. Robin Tunney is perfect as George's fiancé. I wonder what happened if he had never died so tragically. George should have had a career. Hollywood is a tough town. I wished George had moved to New York and pursued a stage career. Affleck is heartbreaking in the role.

The mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the actor who was known to millions of TV viewers for his starring role in "Adventures Of Superman" (1952-1958) gave rise to widespread speculation about whether his death was a case of suicide or murder. "Hollywoodland" tells the semi-fictitious story of an investigation into the case by a private detective who, just like television's Superman, finds that his ambitions lead him into dark territory.Louis Simo (Adrien Brody) is the private investigator whose personal life is in turmoil and whose professional activities don't earn him enough to pay the bills. He becomes aware of the death of George Reeves (Ben Affleck) when he discovers how upset his son is about what happened to his TV hero and later becomes more intrigued when he learns, from a detective that he used to work with, that there are certain facts about the case that the authorities want to keep under wraps.Simo sees an opportunity to win some valuable publicity and soon gets himself hired by Reeves' mother Helen Bessolo (Lois Smith) who doesn't believe for a minute that her son would've committed suicide. Simo's investigation reveals a number of unexplained pieces of evidence and it isn't too long before a few different theories emerge about how Reeves actually died.Reeves was an actor whose career had started with a small part in "Gone With The Wind" but subsequently failed to develop in the way he'd hoped it would. He'd become involved with an older woman called Toni Mannix (Diane Lane) who bought him a house, a car and good clothes but ominously turned out to be the wife of MGM studio executive Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins). Reeves' initial anxiety about this was relieved however, when he learnt that Eddie and Toni had an open relationship and Eddie also had a Japanese mistress.The opportunity to play Superman was a turning point for Reeves because it made him famous and provided him with a modest income. Unfortunately though, he didn't find the role satisfying and had aspirations to play more demanding parts which could earn him recognition as a serious actor. Very few roles of the type he wanted came along and when they did, audience reaction was negative because being so well known as Superman meant that no-one could take him seriously in any other role. Reeves became bitter, dumped Toni and later became involved with a young starlet called Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney) who was present at his Hollywood home on the night of his death."Hollywoodland" is a movie in which the Los Angeles of the 1950s is beautifully and convincingly recreated and its story about the unexplained inconsistencies surrounding the death of George Reeves is genuinely intriguing.Ben Affleck is marvellous as he brings to life the charm and sadness of his character and subtly shows how humiliated he felt at certain points in his career and Diane Lane is terrific as the wealthy but vulnerable Toni who was left devastated and angry when her affair with Reeves ended. Bob Hoskins and Adrien Brody both make a strong impression but overall the quality of the acting in this film really is exceptionally good.

I was a young kid during the 50's, so I recall fondly the Superman series. And most of us eventually became aware that there were some suspicious details surrounding Reeves' death in '59. Unfortunately, this movie was a disappointment to me. Adrien Brody was badly miscast as a detective, IMO. Plus, the movie seemed to be far more about his character (Louis Simo) and his life struggles than about George Reeves. Brody's character was simply boring. He was not likable, lacked charm, he didn't evoke sympathy from me, nor did he answer any questions about the death of Reeves. His role might have worked in a much more subdued and complimentary sense, but not as the lead. Affleck's performance was believable and solid, but here again, he was somewhat miscast due to the age differential, being a good 12 years younger than Reeves was during the 50's era. (Reeves was born in 1914 and was 45 in '59, Affleck was born in '72 and was 33 at the time this movie was made.) Still, the acting was very good all around, especially from Diane Lane. I appreciated the neo-noir aspect of the film. There were a few behind-the-scenes peeks at Reeves' life that were quite interesting, but sadly, only a few. Too much Detective Simo, and not enough George Reeves. If you watch movies just to see good acting, then maybe this is for you. If you're the type (like me) who wants to be entertained in the process, or at the very least find some long-anticipated closure regarding the death of George Reeves, then I'm finding this movie rather hard to recommend. I would never rent this, although if it's available on streaming, it might be worth a shot.