The Player

I have to admit that when I heard that Robert Altman died, I was shocked. It's not that I was ignorant of how old he was (though I was clueless about that); it was just that it happened at the same time that I was beginning to get into his work. Sure, I hadn't liked "Gosford Park," but maybe I just didn't have enough patience for it, as Altman has said (he tried to keep kids out of his films because he didn't think they'd have the patience for them).

So I watched "The Player." I definitely liked this one better, though whether it's because it's a better film or a more interesting subject is up to debate--I'm one of those people who dislike Hollywood and think studio executives are like Griffin Mill, the main character.

He's the "writer's executive," yet he blows off writers and never calls them back. He starts an affair with a dead writer's girlfriend without breaking up with his current girlfriend. And he's the "hero" of the film. The "villain" is one of the writers he never called back, and is threatening to kill him.

But the story is not the point of the film. "Satire" of Hollywood is the point, so don't get too wrapped up into the plot and you'll have fun. If you're looking for a smart thriller, this isn't it (and neither is "Gosford Park," come to think of it). If you're looking for a witty Hollywood story, this is it.

(Possible spoiler sub-note: Is it a rule that every Hollywood film has to have a reference to itself near the end? "Singin' in the Rain" implied that they were making "Singin' in the Rain," this one implies that a writer is pitching "The Player" near the end...)