You’re in for a real treat if you like movies about movies and the Hollywood scene. This one takes place in Los Angeles and shows the side of the entertainment industry in a unique way. It might compare to a film like The Big Picture (1989) in some regards. The cast in this film is very small, but it worked well for the story which focuses on a struggling upcoming actor and his best friend who has some unusual medical issues specifically a head injury with recurring short-term memory loss. It would be considered a dramatic comedy. It was written and directed by Barry Levinson. Barry has produced other films such as Toys (1992) with Robin Williams and Home Fries (1998) with Drew Barrymore and Luke Wilson.
The tagline used was “One thing stands between Jimmy and stardom. Reality”
The main two characters are played by Joe Pesci as Jimmy Alto who becomes a vigilante crime-fighter while striving to become a famous actor. His best friend William is played by Christian Slater who helps him on his quest. The casting of these two was genius; I thought they worked wonderfully together. You will also see Spanish actress Victoria Abril as Lorraine de la Peña who was simply wonderful in the role. Jason Beghe and John Cothran Jr. both played detectives in this as well. Hal Fishman, Jerry Dunphy, Andrea Kutyas all play television Anchorpersons. Kerry Kilbride, Paula López, Paul Dean Jackson, Joe Avellar, Susan Campos, Claudia Haro, and Audrey Morgan all play Newscasters.
The film deals with Jimmy going on auditions, his relationship with his girlfriend, and his rise to stardom. You also get a chance to see lots of footage of Los Angeles and the Hollywood area where most of the story takes place. This paints a picture of how things have changed since the early era of the golden age of Hollywood and how things have drastically changed. For all those who have hopeful Hollywood aspirations, this will shine some light onto the modern day struggles of an actor trying to “make it” in the entertainment business. (However bizarre the story might be) The storyline is pretty straightforward, but it does keep your interest due to the talented cast giving it their all. I will recommend this one and especially to those who enjoy Hollywood industry themed films.
Jimmy Hollywood (1994) Review , 4.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating
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on Saturday, December 5th, 2009 at 11:11 am and is filed under Comedy, Drama, Latest Reviews.
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