A Favorite: The Player

Robert Altman's 1992 satire, "The Player," is my 4th favorite film of his, my 21st favorite film of the 90s, and my 2nd favorite film of that year. The story is about a Hollywood studio exec (Tim Robbins) who murders an aspiring screenwriter because he thinks the screenwriter is sending him death threats. Perhaps the greatest thing about watching "The Player" is catching all of the inside jokes Altman lays out for his viewers. With around sixty celebrities making cameo appearances, Altman stated wryly that it was a mild satire that wouldn't offend anyone.

The opening shot---which references both Orson Welles's "Touch of Evil" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope"---lasts an outstanding 7 minutes and 47 seconds. It is fantastic how Altman moves his camera around a Hollywood studio lot, introducing many of the main characters quickly in short little episodes as they pass by the camera numerous times. This feat was harder to do before digital filmmaking became the norm as it essentially is nowadays. Apparently it took 15 takes, but everyone of them was worth getting the final outcome.

Like many of Altman's films, this film is an ensemble. And like many of his ensemble films the cast members feed off of each other perfectly. Everyone in this film is in one of their best roles of their career. Tim Robbins plays the slimy Hollywood exec, a very young Vincent D'Onofiro plays the down-on-his luck, piss on the world writer, and Greta Scacchi plays perfectly the mysterious and seductive love interest, just to name a few. Oh! Richard E. Grant is really terrific as the Brit who at first puts integrity before business and then succumbs to Hollywood ruin. Finally and, again, like many Altman films, the plot moves in strange and unexpected ways. However, he manages to somehow put all the pieces of a typical Hollywood film in: violence (though against the innocent), comedy (but at the expense of the main characters), and [spoilers] a Hollywood ending (even though the guy is guilty). If you ever get the chance to see it, do so. It was also (ironically) a commercial success, so, I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do no matter your taste.