The Player

The Player (1992)

Runtime: 124 minutes

Directed by: Robert Altman

Starring: Tim Robbins, Greta Sacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, and MANY famous faces, either as themselves or in brief roles as characters

From: Fine Line Features

RIP Dean Stockwell. It took more than a week but I am finally tipping my cap to the late actor. When I was a kid I did not regularly watch Quantum Leap but more than one episode was seen by me. As an adult, I've seen (and reviewed) a few great movies he was in, such as Paris, Texas and Blue Velvet. Instead of revisiting those, one popular film he was in which hadn't been watched before was selected. Judging by where his name was in the credits, I figured he would have a few scenes in a movie with an astounding array of talent—and I was correct. As always, no matter how small the role he did a swell job-in this case as an energetic agent.

It is clear that Robert Altman did not hold a high opinion of Hollywood. The problems he had with the studio system and the lack of box office success (no matter the quality of the film) probably helped form such a viewpoint. In The Player, Hollywood is a backstabbing, double-crossing vicious world where people lie to your face, asses are kissed, and artistic integrity is flushed down the toilet in a probably misguided attempt to be appealing to the general public. Tim Robbins (the true highlight of the film; he was great) is a studio executive who is a real jerk... sure, having to reject most of the script ideas that writers send your way will ruffle feathers but he is heel-and someone keeps on sending him threatening messages on postcards, from a presumed rejected writer. From there, things go awry and such elements as an Icelandic widow are thrown into the mix.

It's a darkly funny film which was definitely appealing to a movie dork like myself. Besides the dozens of famous faces who appear either as themselves in cameos or in small roles as characters, there is a plethora of references, movie posters, and the mockery of unfortunate Hollywood business tropes to enjoy. Lord knows what Altman would think of that world now, where things are even more safe than back then, things are incredibly corporate & remakes are so prevalent, I just read minutes ago that Timo Tjahjanto is going to direct a reboot of... UNDER SIEGE?! WTF?  Anyhow, this is tale that at times is absurd-then again, the motion picture business itself is rather absurd so it's fitting. A key plot point is a script in development that “does not have a happy Hollywood ending”... does this movie have a cliché ending itself? I do have to reveal that in one scene a prerequisite list of “requirements” for a successful studio film are noted and they are all present in The Player. How ironic then that the success of this allowed Altman to have a career resurgence. As for this movie in particular, a smart story and moody, evocative score helps make it much more than just a silly satire.

The Player is something which may not be for all but I'll dig something that has a big role from Fred Ward, has Brion James in an atypical part, and presents what would likely been a bad yet amazing cop drama starring Scott Glenn & Lily Tomlin. In addition, it is quite the feat that this is how Lyle Lovett first met Julia Roberts and not that long after were married for a short time... which caused OUTRAGE as Lyle is not handsome in a classical sense—almost three decades later I realize how F'ed up that opinion was.