The Player Movie Review
The Player did for Robert Altman's career at the age of 67 what Prizzi's Honor had done for John Huston's career seven years earlier at the age of 79—it turned him into a hot young director all over again. This savage satire of Hollywood, informed by a myriad of details that could only be assembled via thorough scrutiny over the long haul, is every bit as brilliant a depiction of Hollywood in the ‘90s as Sunset Boulevard was of Hollywood in the ‘50s. The less said about this masterwork the better, because a large share of the fun comes from not knowing who or what's going to pop up next. If it's a textbook scenario, Heaven help Hollywood in the 21st century. The first shot is a jaw dropper, ditto Tim Robbins’ and Vincent D'Onofrio's performances as the symbol and sacrificial lamb of the industry. And, if you really want to blow your mind, watch The Player on a double bill with 1957's The Delinquents, Altman's very first movie!
1992 (R) 123m/C Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher, Brion James, Cynthia Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Dean Stockwell, Richard E. Grant, Dina Merrill, Sydney Pollack, Lyle Lovett, Randall Batinkoff, Gina Gershon; Cameos: Michael Tolkin, Louise Fletcher, Dennis Franz, Malcolm McDowell, Ray Walston, Rene Auberjonois, David Alan Grier, Jayne Meadows, Michael Bowen, Steve James, Brian Tochi, Burt Reynolds, Cher, Nick Nolte, Jack Lemmon, Lily Tomlin, Marlee Matlin, Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, Anjelica Huston, Elliott Gould, Sally Kellerman, Steve Allen, Richard Anderson, Harry Belafonte, Shari Belafonte, Karen Black, Gary Busey, Robert Carradine, James Coburn, Cathy Lee Crosby, John Cusack, Brad Davis, Peter Falk, Teri Garr, Leeza Gibbons, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, Joel Grey, Buck Henry, Kathy Ireland, Sally Kirkland, Andie MacDowell, Martin Mull, Mimi Rogers, Jill St. John, Susan Sarandon, Rod Steiger, Joan Tewkesbury, Robert Wagner; D: Robert Altman; W: Michael Tolkin; C: Jean Lepine; M: Thomas Newman. British Academy Awards ‘92: Best Adapted Screenplay; Cannes Film Festival ‘92: Best Actor (Robbins), Best Director (Altman); Golden Globe Awards ‘93: Best Actor-Musical/Comedy (Robbins), Best Film—Musical/Comedy; Independent Spirit Awards ‘93: Best Film; New York Film Critics Awards ‘92: Best Cinematography, Best Director (Altman), Best Film; Writers Guild of America ‘92: Best Adapted Screenplay; Nominations: Academy Awards ‘92: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director (Altman), Best Film Editing. VHS, LV, Letterbox, Closed Caption, DVD