Where to watch Jimmy Hollywood
1 1/2 Stars
Jimmy Alto is an actor wannabe who stumbles into the role of a lifetime. He becomes a vigilante crime-fighter, aided by his sidekick William, who has suffered a head wound and has problems with short-term memory. Jimmy’s vigilante alter ego soon becomes a media wonder–but Jimmy remains a total unknown and his long-suffering girl friend Lorraine is getting fed up with the whole situation.
Barry Levinson’s Jimmy Hollywood is a dark and satirical look at Hollywood. It had the unfortunate luck of trailing Robert Altman’s The Player to the screen, and Jimmy Hollywood suffered greatly in comparison. The two pictures are different in plot and structure, but they share a cynical, comical, and nearly malicious attack on the people who populate and worship the idols of the silver screen. Joe Pesci’s high-energy work is the film’s greatest strength; it’s an intriguing character trapped in a mundane and somewhat predictable story. Worse yet, Levinson’s gift of writing interesting dialogue is largely absent.
Joe Pesci gives Jimmy Alto a high-energy arrogance that gives the movie a reason for existing. It’s a good performance, but Levinson doesn’t explore the more interesting aspects of the character. Where did his Hollywood obsession begin? Why does his girlfriend support him financially and emotionally? How did he meet William? Christian Slater makes an attempt to move to more dramatic fare, but it isn’t amusing, and he’s overtaken by Pesci in most scenes. Jimmy Hollywood presents us with a fascinating character in Jimmy Alto and then dumps him into a lackluster social drama with predictable results. Thus creating a frustrating viewing experience.
Directed by: Barry Levinson
Written by: Barry Levinson
Starring: Joe Pesci, Christian Slater, Victoria Abril