Hollywood

Author: Chris
Location: London

"Hollywood"

Director: Sam Mendes
Written by John Logan
Music by Thomas Newman

Principal Cast

Belinda Dayler - Julianne Moore
Maurice Hertz - Jake Gyllenhaal
Alisa Ross - Rachel McAdams
James Ross - Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Helen Ross - Mena Suvari
May Forbes - Amy Adams
Louis B Meyer - Kevin Spacey
Audrey Hepburn - Keira Knightley
Natalie Wood - Natalie Portman
Elizabeth Taylor - Rachel Weisz
Jodie - Kate Mara

Tagline
There’s no business like show business.

Synopsis

Set over four different time scales, ‘Hollywood’ weaves the fictional story of four actors struggling to make it in the film business. In 2006, Alisa Ross is quickly becoming an international star. When her drama school friend, Jodie, is forced to sleep her way to the top, Alisa soon realizes how corrupt the industry is for those unlucky ones.

In the 1950, Maurice Hertz has an affair with moderately successful actress May Forbes. Forbes becomes pregnant and is forced to tell all to her ambitious and unloving director husband. The scandal is soon discovered by a Los Angeles journalist and pregnant May is exiled from Hollywood, shunned out by movie mogul Louis B Meyer. She is forced to leave her lover, Hertz, behind.

In 1963, Actress Belinda Dayler almost always loses out on the leading role to the big names of the era, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Natalie Wood. She is quickly becoming notorious in the industry for being the leading lady who almost makes it no matter how much she prostitutes herself to get ahead. Tragedy occurs when her ten year old son is knocked down by a car and killed instantly this affects her drastically and she ends her life leaving a daughter in a Los Angeles care home. In 1978, James Ross is part of a successful TV variety show. He is struggling to make it into the film industry. His wife Helen is extremely supportive of his career, knowing how difficult it is to get a break. When Helen is offered a lead in a TV movie, this causes trouble for her marriage. James begins to suspect Helen of being unfaithful in order to get ahead. Helen’s desperate actions are a result of trying to help her husband’s career.

Alisa visits her terminally ill mother, Helen Ross, on her deathbed. Helen tells Alisa of her grandparents and their struggle to be successful. Alisa weeps for the stories of Maurice, May and Belinda.

What The Press Would Say

Mendes’ dark portrayal of Hollywood through the years beautiful compares the golden glamour of success and the depression of the unlucky, who don’t ‘make it’. The film is a change in direction for Sam Mendes, who has enjoyed success in a range of genres. Similarly to American Beauty, he focuses on the darkness underneath the American Dream (in this case the glamour of Hollywood’s movie industry). Mendes manages to create a masterpiece with John Logan’s dark and bleak script beautifully capturing how Hollywood praises some and exploits others. There is not a false note in the casting. Julianne Moore is a revelation as she heartbreakingly portrays a woman juggling motherhood whilst being demoralized in a struggling acting career. Gyllenhaal and Adams are great together and the audience really empathize with their characters. Rachel McAdams delivers a performance suggesting that if she isn’t a big star this time next year, then her agent messed up big time! The support is outstanding, Spacey delivers an uncanny performance as Meyer. Weisz and Portman are thoroughly entertaining as they accurately portray the film’s real-life characters but it is Keira Knightley who steals every scene she’s in as the elegant and graceful Audrey Hepburn. Finally Thomas Newman’s haunting score transcends the different time periods perfectly.

Predicted Oscar Nominations:

Best Picture
Best Director (Sam Mendes)
Best Original Screenplay (John Logan)
Best Original Score (Thomas Newman)
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Actress (Julianne Moore)
Best Supporting Actor: (Jake Gyllenhaal; Kevin Spacey)
Best Supporting Actress: (Amy Adams; Keira Knightley; Rachel McAdams)

Release Date:
November 16th 2007