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This Weeks Movie Reviews: Hollywoodland Directed by Allen Coulter. Written by Paul Bernbaum. Cinematography, Jonathan Freeman. Music, Marcelo Zarvos. Starring Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, Ben Affleck, Robin Tunney, Lois Smith and Bob Hoskins. Focus Features, 2006. R. 126 minutes. How odd that in one summer we get Superman in his newest live-action incarnation, in the underappreciated Superman Returns, and in his oldest: Hollywoodland explores the mystery surrounding the death of George Reeves (Ben Affleck), who played Superman on TV in the 1950s. Gliding back and forth between the time of Reeves' rise to fame and a fictionalized investigation of his death, Hollywoodland offers a peek into the mechanics of stardom, the perils of certain sorts of fame and the frustration of life not working out as expected. Read more...
The Protector Directed by Prachya Pinkaew. Written by Kongdej Jaturanrasmee, Napalee, Piyaros Thongdee and Joe Wannapin. Story by Prachya Pinkaew. Cinematography, Nuttawut Kittikun. Music by The RZA. Starring Tony Jaa. Weinstein Company, 2006. R. 84 minutes. The Protector isn't a movie as much as a vehicle for introducing the world to Tony Jaa. A star in his native Thailand since Ong-bak (2003), Jaa is a master of Muay Thai kickboxing, a fighting style in which knees and shins are as important as hands and elbows. The Protector highlights Jaa's unique abilities, but it arrives here 25 minutes shorter than the Thai version, presumably to save audiences the hassle of a plot. Depending on your point of view, The Protector is either a long teaser for kickboxing or a short attempt at an action picture. Either way, despite some dazzling fight sequences, it doesn't work as an actual film. Read more...
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