|
"'The
Player' Makes a Killing in Hollywood"
by Scott Mantz
"The Player"
Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi
Directed by Robert Altman
Lights! Camera!
Action!
Welcome to Hollywood,
where stars are born, dreams come true, and billions of dollars
are wasted in the process. For a town with such a dysfunctional
work ethic, it's a miracle that anything ever gets done here. While
TV shows like "Entertainment Tonight" and magazines like "Entertainment
Weekly" are quick to glamorize what's on the surface, working behind
the scenes is not as glamorous as it seems. If anything, it's downright
brutal, and therein lies the inspiration for one of the best movies
about making movies ever made. "The Player" not only re-established
Robert Altman as a filmmaker to be taken seriously, but it also
remains a scathing and loving tribute to a business that only loves
you when you're on top.
Griffin Mill
(Tim Robbins) is a high-powered studio executive who has a lot more
on his mind than just the weekend's grosses. As if constantly worrying
about his job wasn't enough, he's also being harassed by a mysterious
writer's threatening postcards. He tracks them down to David Kahane
(Vincent D'Onofrio), only to become smitten by Kahane's girlfriend,
June Gudmonsdottir (Greta Scacchi). He kills Kahane in a fit of
rage, becomes romantically involved with his girlfriend, and then
finds out that he killed the wrong guy. How long can he balance
avoiding the cops, romancing his girl, and staying alive with the
pressure of making a number one movie at the box office? It's a
tale of deception, intrigue, and suspense that can only be found
in Hollywood.
Making a movie
about show business that appeals to the masses can be a tough sell.
"Bowfinger" succeeded simply because it was a downright funny movie
that featured the comedic talents of Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy,
but Kevin Spacey's "Swimming With Sharks" came up short by hitting
a little too close to home. The feeling was that after working in
the biz all day, why would peo ple use what little free time they
have to see a movie about it? At the same time, why should anyone
outside the business even care? This was the same dilemma that sealed
the fate of last year's critically acclaimed TV series "Action."
"The Player"
overcame these obstacles, and though it followed in the footsteps
of other classic show-biz movies like "Sunset Boulevard," it was
really the first of its kind to take such an overt, but still loving,
jab at the film business. Though it was made for a meager $8 million,
you would never know it. The production values were top notch, the
cast was stellar, and the film featured more cameo appearances by
Hollywood celebrities than any other film. These players jumped
at the chance to work with the legendary director, but they also
saw a unique opportunity to take part in a film that would send
up the very industry in which they made their name.
Every imaginable
stereotype about Hollywood circa 1992 is captured in "The Player."
There's the tension-filled pitch meetings, where nervous writers
sum up their whole concept by recalling previous movies ("it's 'Out
of Africa' meets "Pretty Woman'"), the phony encounters with celebrities
at the hot-spot of the moment, where the conversation never veers
far from what's in that day's "Daily Variety," and the race to get
Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts to sign on the dotted line (ironic,
considering that 8 years later, Willis and Roberts are still at
the top of their game).
Tim Robbins
couldn't have done a better job as the spoiled and self-absorbed
studio executive. His towering figure only adds to the menacing
allure that many larger-than-life industry mavens strive to personify.
Like a big fish in a small pond, he's in control at the studio,
but once he's out in the real world, he squirms like the snake that
he is. All of his peers know this, and when they see him on the
streets of LA, they don't waste any time in telling him where to
go. Still, that doesn't stop the audience from making a connection
to him. How Hollywood is that?
Whoopi Goldberg
is top-notch (as opposed to over-the-top) and puts in one of her
finest performances as the Pasadena Police Detective who's on to
Robbins. She's quick, sharp, and to-the-point, and she has no bones
about putting Mr. Hollywood in his place. Greta Scacchi plays the
sultry avant-gard object of Robbin's affection, while Fred Ward
is the sleazy security chief at the studio who acts more like a
movie star then the stars do themselves. Dean Stockwell and Richard
E. Grant are hysterical as the B.S. artists who pitch their idea
to Robbins, and the enigmatic Vincent D'Onofrio adds another memorable
performance to his resume as the embittered writer.
As they say
in show business, "nobody knows nothing," but if "The Player" is
any indication, then Robert Altman knows Hollywood. Like most of
Altman's movies, which feature multiple characters and overlapping
dialogue, the film retains its allure and reveals something new
with each viewing. The happy ending portrayed here is a nod to the
one that's slapped onto the movie within the movie, driving home
the point that while making movies can be murder, there are plenty
of filmmakers in Hollywood who are thankfully getting away with
it.
Cut! That's
a wrap!
|
