The Movie:
Nobody wanted to do a movie about Hollywood.
Over the years, if there is one thing Hollywood has proven itself adept at, it’s patting itself on the back for a job well done. While the Academy Awards is a party they throw for themselves to showcase just how wonderful they are, more often than not they reward the film that shows them in the best light. At least thats the only way I can justify Green Book winning the Oscar a few years after the #Oscarssowhite outcry. So when we have an industry that likes to shine the most flattering light on itself, how will it react when one of their own decides to skewer all they are and all they hold dear?
Robert Altman has long been a Hollywood maverick, wagging his directorial finger at every sacred cow he can find, be it the Korean War in M.A.S.H., music in Nashville, politics in Tanner ‘88, or the fashion industry in Ready to Wear. There wasn’t a target large or small enough that he couldn’t hit, and he always did it with the best thespians at his side. While he was alive, almost every actor in Hollywood wanted to be cast in his films, and when they were, awards and prestige almost always followed. Sure, he had his failures, and even a brief “exile,” but a majority of his films are now considered classics.
But would those stars follow him everywhere. Movie stars are often burdened with agents, managers, and press specialists whose jobs focus on giving the star every opportunity to come off looking shinier than the golden trophy itself. Would they follow their pied piper if their jobs meant skewering everything they’ve built? Would they allow Altman to not only satorize not just their characters, but a Hollywood-ized version of themselves?
Would they want to be in on the joke?
Judging by the amount of cameos in The Player, the answer was a resounding yes.
In The Player, Tim Robbins plays a big time executive for a major motion picture company, and one could only imagine that he didn’t get the job based on his morals. He’s always been the go-to guy at the company but his track record of late hasn’t been wonderful and he’s in danger of being replaced by a younger up and comer. He’d do anything to keep his job, maybe even commit murder because there might be a good story in it.
Despite the beating Hollywood took in the movie, seriously, no one comes out smelling all the better for the transpired events, it was quick to reward the film with Oscar nominations for Best Director (Altman), Best Adapted Screenplay (Michael Tolkin, for adapting his own book) and Best Film Editing (Geraldine Peroni). Unfortunately it didn’t win anything, but that would almost be like rewarding Altman for his own cheeky behavior, wouldn’t it? Regardless, The Player is an early 90’s classic and one of the strongest films in the latter part of Altman’s career. Of course, he’d go on to get nominated two more times for Best Director for Short Cuts and Gosford Park, bringing his total number of career nominations to five, but sadly with zero wins.
At least with The Player, I’d like to think he got the last word in though.
Rated 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Special Features:
The Disc: Not exactly a film one would use to show off your home theater system with, the video has still been given a 4K restoration. The sound is a solid, yet unremarkable, 2.0 DTS-HD giving the dialogue a chance to stand out.
Audio Commentary: Originally recorded in 1992, director Robert Altman, writer Michael Tolkin, and cinematographer Jean Lepine give a master class of a commentary, talking about everything from the making of the film, both in adapting the work and laying it out for the screen, what it’s like to really work in Hollywood, plus what it was like to work with the immense amount of actors found on screen. Very informative and always entertaining.
Robert Altman Interview: (21 minutes) Recorded in 1992, Altman discusses his love of character, subliminal reality, the subconscious, and what people talk about when they talk about movies and the “meta” nature of the film. Apparently a good amount of the actors that cameo did so for free.
Cannes Film Festival Press Conference: (56 minutes) The Player won Best Director and Best Actor awards at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, so of course there was a press conference. Joining winners Altman and Robbins are actors Brion James, Whoopi Goldberg, and Dina Merrill, writer Michael Tolkin, and production designer Stephen Altman along with some others. The conference was moderated by film critic Henri Behar. While it served up some good information it didn’t feel as in-depth as some of the other features.
Robert Altman’s Players: (16 minutes) Apparently the fundraiser scene in the movie was shot at an actual fundraiser for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Map to the Stars: An interactive guide to the appearances of sixty-five actors and writers who appeared as themselves or bit characters in the film, an astounding number of which I didn’t catch while watching the film.
Deleted Scenes and Outtakes: A handful of scenes that happen to include the likes of Jeff Daniels, Martha Plimpton, and Patrick Swayze among others.
Trailers and TV Spots: (6 minutes) The U.S. trailer, the Japanese trailer, plus some TV spots.
Opening Shot: (9 minutes each) Two audio commentaries, one by Altman, the other by Tolkin and Lepine, discussing the excellent eight minute long opening shot and how it was created and executed. Film school level stuff here.
Planned Improvisation: (46 minutes) The most recent of the special features, produced in 2016, actor Tim Robbins, writer Michael Tolkin, production designer, Stephen Altman, and AP David Levy talk about the making of The Player.
Booklet: A six page foldout essay by Sam Wasson titled “The Screenplay”
Rated 5 out of 5 Stars
