Rating: 
Summary: A SPOOF OF ITSELF?
Review: If Short Cuts, Gosford Park, Pret A Porter etc are anything to go by, Robert Altman does not make "simple" movies, not in the conventional sense of the word. The Player is a terrific movie that'll hold your attention until the end but still manage to turn itself into the Hollywood that it takes a sardonic potshot at. And sardonic jabs abound -- a roving eye is fixed at Hollywood's teeming writers with the Next Big Idea, at the eventual futility of compassion and morality (Bonnie, the only decent studio exec who stands for what she believes is right, loses everything in the end), even at the LA police (Whoopi Goldberg's notorious gag "This is Pasadena. We don't catch wrong criminals here. That's LA"). The soundtrack is fitting, unsettlingly "American Beauty"-like but super-bassy (P.S. remember to adjust your treble a little higher than usual). Watch for guest cameos from Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Bruce Willis, Any McDowell, John Cussack. The DVD also has a section of reels that didn't make the final cut of the movie, which is quite a treat in itself -- apparently Jeff Daniels, Patrick Schwaze etc had a small part too which the actual movie didn't include. Needless to say Hollywood is not your average straight-laced business, nor is this paradoxical sketch about it. This is Altman's intriguing film making, recommended for people who don't mind a slightly unique twist.
Rating: 
Summary: Great film - great disc
Review: In his rambling commentary on the disc, Altman begins by disowning the film. He was brought in to direct. The actors made up all their lines. Etc. But by the end of the commentary you sense that, behind it all, he reallly is quite proud. He should be. It may not be as biting a satire as Network, but it lands more than just a few shots at Hollywood's corporate culture. And surprisingly big stars (Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, John Cusack) show up at every corner in cameos supporting the film's thesis: that studio executives have no soul and consequently make movies that have no soul. Or at least that's my take. Anyway, regardless of who is responsible for ultimate credit, this is a great film. It opens with a legendary nine-minute single take on a swooping crane (reminiscent of Touch of Evil) and accumulates suspense as a series of threatening postcards are delivered to Tim Robbins' character from an angry screenwriter. This is a flipper disc, which means that it contains information on both sides. On one is the film in widescreen; the other, special features. The picture-quality could be better (probably because the movie is long and they fit it all on one side) but is of course a thousand times superior to VHS. The sound mix, with Altman's tradmark overlapping dialogue, is good. The extras include the theatrical trailer, cast bios, cameo player bios, a making-of featurette, deleted scenes and commentary by Altman and the writer, Michael Tolkin. As usual, the deleted scenes and the featurette are nothing to write home about, but the commentary is sporadically interesting. Even if the disc could be better, I have to rate it five/five stars because the film is a movie-lover's paradise.
Rating: 
Summary: "We do not arrest the wrong person. That's L.A.!"
Review: Robert Altman's "The Player" opens with a breathtaking crane shot across a film studio lot. The film then goes into the story of Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins), a shallow studio executive with little creative insight. His story unfolds as the film itself flings one zinger after another at the creative void known as Hollywood. "The Player" has gained the reputation of being a biting satire on the state of the film industry - a place where style matters over substance and where compromise triumphs over artistic vision. The truth, however, is that the film is a mixed bag. Full of wit at times but flat most of the time. Mill is troubled by a rumor that he is about to be replaced by a new hotshot rival executive named Larry Levy (Peter Gallagher). To make matters worse, Mill is also receiving threatening postcards from an anonymous writer Griffin had previously rejected. A series of circumstantial clues leads to Mill tagging David Kahane (Vincent D'Onofrio) as his tormentor and Mill does away with him. Along come the police and lead investigator Susan Avery (Whoopi Goldberg) who slowly puts the pieces of the puzzle together but is eventually thwarted by a witness with poor eyesight. "The Player" reveals itself to be many things upon close scrutiny. The film is a loving tribute to cinema as the characters and settings are always referencing films of the past in various ways. The film is also a sort of game as you try and catch as many real life Hollywood celebrities as you can as the film unfolds. It is also effective as a satire of Hollywood thinking as we get to see how a combination of Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts, and taking the easy way out utterly undermines a fictional film being produced. Yet "The Player" is also disappointingly un-involving as a viewing experience. Not much interest is generated by the murder, the murder investigation, and the subsequent cover-up. The characters also are muted. Robbins, Cynthia Stevenson, and Goldberg turn in acceptable performances but none of them really help to raise the energy level of the film. Their characters are as staid as the image co-star Lyle Lovett creates for himself in real-life. In sum, "The Player" earns some points for its accurate critiquing of Hollywood but one wishes such a message could have been delivered via a more entertaining production.
Rating:
Summary: Started slow but got kind of interesting.
Review: Summary:
Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) is a high-powered Hollywood studio executive that has the power to make or break people's careers. When he starts receiving postcards threatening his life he finally gets fed up with it and tries to figure out who it is. He comes up with the name of David Kahane (Vincent D'Onofrio) and when he confronts him, they eventually end up struggling and Griffin ends up killing David. As it turns out, David isn't the person that was sending the death threats. However, Griffin ends up hooking up with David's girlfriend, June Gudmundsdottir (Greta Scacchi). While the murder is working itself out, Griffin is also struggling to maintain his position in the studio from the threat of a new executive, Larry Levy (Peter Gallagher). In the end, Griffin gets away with the murder, maintains his position in the studio, and marries June. Comments:
I get the impression this is a movie by Hollywood for Hollywood, kind of like Mulholland Drive. Except, unlike Mulholland Drive, this one does become somewhat interesting once the murder takes place. The movie started out really slow and was completely uninteresting for about 20 to 30 minutes until the murder takes place. After that, there is not a whole lot of tension until Griffin is taken in for the lineup where the police's eye witness misidentifies him and he gets off. There are a bunch of cameos, some which are kind of fun (Bruce Willis and Burt Reynolds specifically), but other than that and the intrigue that develops from the murder mystery, this movie is kind of boring and struggles to hold one's attention. Like I said, perhaps it is fun for people in Hollywood, but I was not really impressed.
Rating:
Summary: I've seen it six times...
Review: I have watched this movie at least six times in order to prepare for my final exam October. Even watching it six times, anddelving deeply into meaning of every word, every camera angle, and every filmic technique, The Player has lost none of its charme and appeal. Thats why I give it five stars.
Rating:
Summary: Without Words - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Review: This is a wonderfully clever, diabolically cynical satire of Hollywood and the movie industry. This is one of those movies that, if you care anything at all about film, you must see. I must add that in the annals of the film, this has to go down as one of the best Hollywood movies not to win a single Academy Award, altough it was niminated for three: Best Director(Robert Altman), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best movie ever made
Review: The Player is about job stress. It is only parenthetically about the movie business. It is also about perception and how reality is perception. It is a very profound yet very very funny movie. The scene where Lyle Lovett and Whoppi Goldberg start laughing at Tim Robbin's protestations is one of the best ever filmed. The DVD commentary is excellent.
Rating:
Summary: excellent movie
Review: Watxh rhis movie not for the plot, which is a simple murder mystery thriller, but more for the in- jokes, the film references, and most fun of all, for the Spot-the-Star game. Most of all, this movie is a load of fun for buffs.
Rating:
Summary: One of my Top Five
Review: A fine script and foncused direction from Altman keeps the viewer tense with anticapation. Tim Robbins turns in yet another home run career performance. Great camera work. Allow yourself several viewings of this fine film. Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: This movie is sooooo black!
Review: I absolutely love this movie. You will never find a more in-depth look at inside Hollywood than this. This movie manages to include both extremely funny moments and extremely dark ones. Tim Robbins best acting job to date, and one of my favorite films of all time. A must-see for any movie fan, or anyone for that matter.
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