Review of The Player (1992) by Stephen C — 22 Jul 2015

After what was seen by many as a period in the wilderness even though he made some interesting films for television ,Robert Altman returned to big filmmaking with a cutting black satire on the state of Hollywood.

Altman and screenwriter Michael Tolkin attack the big dumb blockbuster mentality head on and show that even in Tinsel town you can get away with virtually anything .

Tim Robbins plays hotshot movie exec Griffin Mill who has it all but is fearful of his job when a deadly rival joins the studio.

To add to Mills problems a anonymous screenwriter is sending him death threats in the mail and most of the pitches for films he hears are rehashes of big blockbuster hits.

Attempting to get to the bottom of the hate mail he crosses over the line into murder and looks like he is heading for a fall.

The film then blows a big raspberry for those looking for the right as Altman shows that human life is nothing compared to box office receipt's.

Tim Robbins is excellent as Griffin Mill all charm but as shallow as hell when his friends and bosses think American movies are the real films as opposed to European films which in there view don't count.

The celebrity cameos are good fun too with Buck Henry trying to pitch The Graduate 2 and Alan Rudolph being mistaken for Martin Scorsese.

Then of course there is Habeas Corpus the film that Mill gets through the studio with its terrible ending and cameos from Altman's 70s stock company of actors.

A dazzling return by the master then and the perfect template for the masterpiece that would follow in the shape of Short Cuts.