Part 90s neo-noir, part savage Hollywood satire, Robert Altman's The Player has a lot of fun with its material, especially on a meta-textual level. We have characters talking about long tracking shots while a long tracking shot is underway. We have dozens of big star cameos doing Altman a solid, mixing with recognizable faces playing even small roles. We have the story itself being one of the pitches heard during the film, daring you to decide where it was, itself, manipulated at the studio level. Lingering shots on movie posters that comment on the action. Everyone pushing for realistic endings (and tell me if the way this crazy story is resolved isn't actually realistic). It's a film about film-making (as a product? as art? dramatic ironies are well conceived) that knows, but hides, that it is itself a film (product? art?). I wonder how much of the producers' cynicism is based on Altman's real-life experiences in Hollywood. Probably 100%.
That was soooo meta! It was funny, sardonic, and extremely clever! Best ending possible for the story.
Pretty well written, omg I'm kinda feeling guilty in not including my bf in the screening of this one, perhaps I'll see The Player all over again with him.
I enjoyed the cameos so much, Jack Lemon, Peter Falk, Malcom McDowell, and the posters, I loved the inclusion of those posters!
I love the subtleties as well as the obvious hints using old movie posters. I'm not sure if I liked it because of all the cameo appearances or in spite of them.
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Forzelius
traffic was a bitch, perfectSiskoid
Part 90s neo-noir, part savage Hollywood satire, Robert Altman's The Player has a lot of fun with its material, especially on a meta-textual level. We have characters talking about long tracking shots while a long tracking shot is underway. We have dozens of big star cameos doing Altman a solid, mixing with recognizable faces playing even small roles. We have the story itself being one of the pitches heard during the film, daring you to decide where it was, itself, manipulated at the studio level. Lingering shots on movie posters that comment on the action. Everyone pushing for realistic endings (and tell me if the way this crazy story is resolved isn't actually realistic). It's a film about film-making (as a product? as art? dramatic ironies are well conceived) that knows, but hides, that it is itself a film (product? art?). I wonder how much of the producers' cynicism is based on Altman's real-life experiences in Hollywood. Probably 100%.AdGuzman
That was soooo meta! It was funny, sardonic, and extremely clever! Best ending possible for the story.Pretty well written, omg I'm kinda feeling guilty in not including my bf in the screening of this one, perhaps I'll see The Player all over again with him.
I enjoyed the cameos so much, Jack Lemon, Peter Falk, Malcom McDowell, and the posters, I loved the inclusion of those posters!
ClassicLady
I love the subtleties as well as the obvious hints using old movie posters. I'm not sure if I liked it because of all the cameo appearances or in spite of them.b4rdum
"You took her to a party, Griffin, with several hundred of my best friends."nicolaskrizan
almost too brillianthttps://beyond1001movies.wordpress.com/2015/12/20/backtrack-the-player-1992/
dchauvin
So many cameos! Brilliant film, manages to be thoroughly original despite being one great big satire. I particularly enjoyed Richard E. Grant.ChrisReynolds
Fantastic movie. Witty and original satire of Hollywood. Metafictional elements are perfectly integrated into the film.whambeat
I liked the use of traking shots while they were being discussed. However, I thought that the second half of the movie came off quite flat.deadendjob
A magnificent comeback for Robert Altman! Superb! Sorry I took so long to post this comment, traffic was a bitch! 8/10