The Player

'The Player (1992)' is a meta and witty inside-joke, jabbing at the ribs of tinsel-town in a cynical yet comedic way, and it manages to sardonically satirise the entire studio system, with a only little bit of self-aggrandising and perhaps an equal measure of self-deprecating. The picture isn't particularly funny, though it can cause some chuckles, but is instead the kind of sly smile inducing mockery that takes its time to dawn on you and isn't immediately obvious. It's this undercurrent that carries the flick much more than the main plot itself, so much so that the actual narrative becomes a part of the running gag as opposed to a vehicle for the individual jokes to spawn from. It's a unique, and somewhat acquired taste of a, film that's usually enjoyable and equally intelligent. 7/10

At times it feels like a period piece or is it that we're so used to the horror. A world populated by the shallowest, opportunistic bunch of ignoramuses the world has ever know. How can art come out of that? I think that when it does it's just an accident of Casablanca proportions. Robert Altman who knows a thing or two about it tells us the horror story with the most everyday approach. Tim Robbins is perfect as that empty designer clothed excecutive with a tinge of self awareness. I had to take a shower after the film was over and remove myself from that world.

Robert Altman gets under my skin. His films are worthy of great respect, yet they are frequently as irritating as they are brilliant. The Player is, as much as Short Cuts, a quintessential Altman film. It is also one of the best roles Tim Robbins has ever enjoyed.

This film is about Hollywood's dark underbelly. The Player eviscerates its subject by twisting justice, political gamesmanship and artistic integrity into new configurations. For non-film-buffs or non-professionals some of the humor may seem too subtle to notice. To film buffs and insiders, the humor is totally over the top.

Robbins plays a young studio exec who is playing the game to win and seems, at least part of the time, to have a conscience. Everything is going along fine for him until he starts receiving threatening calls and letters from a writer whose screenplays he has rejected, and an arch-rival is promoted to a position just above his own. Paranoia and real danger seem in the periphery of every scene in his life, as the make-believe of his industry and the reality of his life begin to blend freely.

Robbins makes a character who could easily have been totally unlikeable somehow sympathetic. Despite his amazing performance, liking the character makes you feel as if you should go stand in a shower and exfoliate for an hour or so. He is supported by excellent supporting work all around. Especially good are the two major women's roles - played by Greta Scachi and Bonnie Sherrow, and veteran camp character Dean Stockwell.

The photography is liberally and amusingly lifted from several classic thrillers, mysteries and dramas, and comes off fresh and original - not at all like a DePalmaesque bit of visual plagiarism. And the pace is brisk.

The Player is probably my favorite Altman film, and it is easily my favorite Tim Robbins film. It's entertaining, intelligent and, well, it has a bad attitude. See it some night when you're angry and you need a good dark laugh.

"The Player" is bigger than the sum total of it's ingredients, because this Robert Altman classic has got so many links pointing to movie history that it is dizzying. It is all about Hollywood and the ins and outs of the movie industry. But let me first focus on the story for now, for those who just wanna see a suspenseful who dunnit story.

"The Player" is a slowburning, yet suspenseful detective story, with funny breathers scattered throughout. Whoopi Goldberg swinging her tampon is one of those hilarious scenes that lights up the seriousness of this detective story about the death threats. It's a who dunnit, with some jokes and with lots of parodies on the inside world of Hollywood. Lots and I really mean lots and lots of actors play themselves in this movie. Everybody wanted to be part of this movie that could be described as "a chainsaw cutting down Hollywood's image"

What's the story about? Tim Robbins plays a hollywood producer elbowing his way to the top. This selfish movie producer will do anything to gain more succes in the superficial world of Hollywood and he is hated by many writers and actors, who were ridiculed or rejected by him. This obnoxious movie producer starts getting death threats mailed to him by postcards. The death threats get more serious every week and Tim Robbins gets desperate to find out which psychotic writer is sending these threats.

"The Player" at first depicts the search for this mysterious person who is sending these evil death threats, but later on the movie takes a dramatic turn which I wont reveal here to avoid spoilers. As I said before, it is a slowburning story, yet slowly climaxing into a very suspenseful ending. Over 2 hours long. But I enjoyed every minute of it and I must have seen it over 10 times by now.

Acting is not particularly great, yet rather funny, in a more amusing satirical way. It is especially funny to see all those well known actors (in the nineties) walk by in this movie playing themselves. That is just eye candy. Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis among others in cameo roles, hilarous stuff!

This direction by Robert Altman is to be highly complimented for many things. Movie geeks would have a field day analyzing this satire on Hollywood. Read all the other reviews, people just have a field day here on imdb analyzing this Hollywood satire. Director Robert Altman made a very suspenseful yet funny detective story that has stood the test of time. More than 20 years later this movie is still a thrill and joy to watch...

Griffin Mill is a young hotshot producer who everyone bows and scrapes to because he has the powers to get a movie made. However he starts getting bugged by a dissatisfied writer which leads to all kinds of deadly intrigue.

Just when I thought Altman had gone totally off-the-boil he suddenly jumps back with his most perfectly realised film. While hardly unapplauded on its release (and in short retrospect) this is a movie that will be regarded by future generations as a classic. It is so smart, sassy, funny and has a beginning, a middle and an end. The kind of tragicomedy that gets the best of both worlds.

Robbins is perfect as the lead. He doesn't do much or emote much. As Robert De Niro once said "most people don't show their emotions, they hide them." Occasionally we get behind the shield of human indifference, but only occasionally. We don't like him much - nor should we - but he is not so bad that we can't bare him. Indeed he is merely someone whose selfish world gets out of control. Whoopie Goldberg makes the most of her unlikely casting too.

The appearance of stars in guest parts adds a bit of icing, but that is all. I loved Altman's directions to the stars who had to play walk-ons (who else could have got that?) "remember, you are responsible for who you are on screen. You are playing yourselves!"

The sexy Scacchi plays the love interest with great skill. While just a muse she is a far better actress than most and this shows in her short screen time. Shame she hasn't more involvement in the main plot.

Like breaking a car down in to its competent parts, taking The Player apart only leaves an ugly mess of oil and metal. Together it drives a tight little film that has insight, drama and comedy. I would hesitate to call this a masterpiece, but it is a mini-masterpiece that however farfetched never reaches the point of being totally unbelievable.

The pay off at the end is one of the best belly-laughs any film buff could ever get. I doubt I will see a better film about modern day Hollywood in my lifetime. Like Pulp Fiction, a film that is as enjoyable the second time of viewing as the first.