The Player1992

Genuinely one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. I watched this on a whim, and I’m so glad I did. I’ve never seen something so (relatively) modern feel so timeless.  This movie is a play on classic noir suspense films but with a 90s Hollywood studio setting, with all the ins and outs, the deals, the brushoffs, the stars, everything. It plays with expectations and conventions of the genre and flips them on their head.  My favorite parts are the beginning and the ending. Obviously, the rest is good too, but everything ties together really well. The start is this long take of the parking lot outside the studio offices with everyone going about their business while characters literally comment about how quick the editing in modern movies is and talk about openings of classic movies. The camera goes around the parking lot until we focus in on a window where a man looks at a postcard he just received.  It just does an incredible job setting up tone as well as many of the main characters and the world they inhabit.  Honestly, you should just see this for yourself. A fascinating meta suspense film that holds up with the best of the genre. A new favorite.  P.S. A brief mention for Tim Robbins’ wardrobe. Impeccable and a huge part of what makes the movie work.