Rating: Summary: Altman Classic. Review: This is a great film about film execs in Hollywood. A good mystery with biting humor and insight into the power/control world of movie-making. Tim Robbins is excellent in the lead role and Robert Altman's directing is superior. The story is great, especially if you've been an actor, director, producer or anyone in dealing with stage or film making. This is a must have for Altman fans and for movie collectors.
Rating: Summary: Tight Film Review: this is the kind of film that Hollywood needs to put out more often.this is also Tim Robbins Best.Robert Altman hits the Bull on the Behind with this WInner.solid great Cameos.Very well casted.The Pros&COns of the Biz.
Rating: Summary: Cameos and satire do not a movie make Review: Sure, I loved all of the stars in the movie. I mean, who wouldn't? And of course I found the satire and critical eye taken with regard to the big business of Hollywood to be interesting. But in the end I found the movie to be wholly uncompelling. I never really laughed, which had I done so regularly, would have made this movie very good. I also never really cared about any character in the movie. Maybe you could say that this is Altman's point, but it still doesn't make the movie any more entertaining. All in all, this movie seemed just OK. That's a horrible review for a Tim Robbins movie, because I think he's great.
Rating: Summary: The Life Of A Westside Playa. Review: Not only is this film a social commentary on "Hollywood", but it also adds an interesting plot twist by incorporating a murder to the mix. I find "The Player" to be a most compelling movie, and with each twist and turn, it becomes more fascinating to watch. I really enjoyed Whoopi Goldberg's performance as the cop. Her scenes were totally fun to watch. It was also wonderful to see all the cameos by the stars. And for all those who are dissing this great movie........ "Keep it to yourself!!!!.....Keep it to yourself!!!!".
Rating: Summary: Terrific movie but flawed "extras". Review: I thought the movie was robbed at Oscar time. Robbins is great, and so are the supporting actors (Cynthia Stevenson, Peter Gallagher and Greta Scacchi) and script. The ending is perfect. Flaws in the DVD version: the key to cameo players is great, but who was asleep when they mixed up two actors' pictures/bios (Jack Riley and Guy Remsen)? How embarrassing is that? And Altman's commentary is very disappointing -- I wanted to hear his views on this work, not listen to him ramble about his theories of moviemaking in general. It's illuminating, however, to hear the director and screenwriter snipe at each other in what were obviously separate recording sessions.
Rating: Summary: Brilliant moviemaking - don't miss it! Review: This one has everything but the kitchen sink. At once a celebration and satire of filmmaking and Hollywood, this is one of those movies you can watch with your friends over and over and see new stuff all the time. Made with a wink to the audience (like "Dead Again" and "The Freshman") this movie is even better than them. Great stuff!
Rating: Summary: Great film, poor use of DVD Review: This is a great film but i fell the picture quality and horrible use of surround sound leaves me disapointed. Even though the disc has the Dolby symbol it doesn't use it enough to even warrent the notice. The picture quality suffers in dark setttings aswell and isn't as good as others from the same time. This is one of my favorite movies but I feel the transfer to DVD could have been better.
Rating: Summary: Simply Altman's best Review: The Player is one of those movies that brings you in, completely, to the world of Tinseltown. But like John Turturro's coming of age in Barton Fink, Altman pulls the curtain of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. In this case, what we see is more real than people probably realize. It's Hollywood in all its' cutthroat corporate culture, with zealous (and jealous) young executives only too willing to stab their partners, lovers and colleagues in the back - multiple times. What fun! You see the characters, you believe their motives, and the world Altman brings to the screen suddenly becomes akin to passing a motor vehicle accident on the highway: it's disturbing, creepy, often heart-wrenching, yet strangely compelling (for those of you with David Cronenberg on the brain!). The cast is great, and The Player gives Altman-favorites like Tim Robbins and Lyle Lovett ample opportunity to flex their creative muscle, Lovett with probably less than half a dozen lines. But it's Altman's technical skill that literally brings down the house. The opening tracking shot, the multiple conversations, imaginative camera angles and the juanty pace of the film make The Player truly a memorable film, easily Altman's best.
Rating: Summary: Literate and Surprising Review: If you like Robert Altman's film style, you'll love this film. I happen to think Altman is a genius, so this was a joy to watch. It moves, keeps you guessing, involves the viewer all the way from beginning to end. Speaking of the beginning, watch the opening shot that has to last five minutes without a cut! Pay close attention because Altman often has two or three conversations going on at one time and you need to listen to just one of them! The murder is solved - sort of! You never quite understand it all until the end and even then, you're not completely sure of what you've just seen! This is a lot of fun for armchair detectives.
Rating: Summary: Great for film buffs, or just people who enjoy suspense Review: I haven't seen any other Robert Altman films and I've heard that they are generally an acquired taste. The Player, however, I think would appeal to almost anyone. There's great stuff for film buffs and literary critics (having lots of puns and references to classic films - both subtle and obvious), for people interested in Hollywood (this is primarily, a story about this town and the industry that drives it), but there's also some good genuine suspense. The Player is a kind of "Snake Eats its Tail" story of Hollywood and in particular one studio executive who gets embroiled in a murder of a writer. Expertly played by Tim Robins, the exec also is being sent anonymous hate mail and being threatened by a new star player exec just brought in by the boss. With all these stresses, he manages to get involved with a somewhat mysterious woman who is almost a reflection of himself. In DVD form, it's great, with a crystal clear Dolby Digital 5.1 Soundtrack that pounds the bass for added suspense. It comes in both Widescreen and Full Screen formats. Lots of Special Feautures make it even better - deleted scenes, a featurette with Altman himself, a Commentary Track with Altman, and of course Bios. But what bios! Not only are the main characters in the film bio'ed, but all the star cameos are bio'ed. Altman is famous for having tons of celebrity cameos at least in his more recent films and this one is no exception. There have got to be at least 40, maybe as much as 80 different cameos. It is after all, a movie about Hollywood, and you tend to run into stars a lot if you're a studio exec. So for each of these cameos, the DVD has a bio, plus a link to jumpt to the scene that the cameo was in. A lot of these cameos you would never even have known about without this helpful feature because, though some are obvious and have dialogue and are reference by name, many are not and last for a split second. Highly recommended for any film buff, but also for people who enjoy a well-made, suspensefull movie!
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