By Valentina Silva

Hollywoodland is a modern film noir that explores the mysterious 1959 death of George Reeves, TV’s Superman. Complex and intriguing, Hollywoodland chronicles Reeves’ life as a struggling actor who begrudgingly becomes famous as the Man of Steel and the investigation into his supposed suicide by down-and-out private investigator, Louis Simo.

We meet Reeves (Ben Affleck) as a struggling actor, whose luck begins to change when he meets Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), the wife of MGM studio executive Edgar Mannix (Bob Hoskins). Soon, Reeves is a television star and hero to legions of American children. However, his initial misgivings about long term effect of the role on his career are realized when he becomes a victim of typecasting and is unable to secure challenging film roles.

Aging and with his celebrity waning, Reeves becomes infatuated with the opportunistic aspiring starlet, Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney). News of the relationship devastates Toni and, consequently, dashes any hopes that Reeves’ has for resuscitating his career. His untimely and controversial death follows shortly.

Enter Simo (Adrian Brody), who finagles a job from Helen Bessolo, Reeves bereaved mother, who absolutely refuses to believe her son killed himself. When Simo begins to ask questions and finds inconsistencies in the case, his world begins to unravel.

Hollywoodland is visually interesting in its depiction of mid-century Los Angeles reminiscent of previous film noir like Devil with a Blue Dress and L.A. Confidential. The story is compelling as it travels back and forth through time, alternating between the lives of Simo and Reeves, who seem to be cosmically connected by the turmoil of their lives.

Adrian Brody is convincing as the rebellious Simo, who becomes obsessed with the case as he learns more about Reeves’ dubious connections. The movie cleverly enacts the possible alternative scenarios to the apparent suicide, encouraging us to share in Simo’s skepticism. One of Simo’s suspects is the powerful Edgar Mannix with a history of connections to suspicious deaths and a motive based on Reeves’ relationship with his wife. Another possible assailant is Lemmon, who Simo thinks may have accidentally shot her lover during a quarrel.

Affleck gives a standout performance as Reeves, tortured by the lack of credibility that the industry grants him as an actor. His misery is so palpable that suicide is as viable a possibility as all the other speculation.

It is this pervading uncertainty that makes Hollywoodland so captivating. The glamour and darkness of Hollywood contrasted against the grit and discontent of George Reeves’ life makes for an intriguing film that presents more questions than answers and, yet, is still satisfying. Though the fairytale or, rather, Hollywood is disappointing, the film is a potential contender in the next award season.

Hollywoodland is rated R and currently in theaters.