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The Player

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The Player (1992)

98%
86%
94%
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98 %
Reviews Counted: 47 Fresh: 46  Rotten:1 Average Rating: 8.6/10

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins

Synopsis: Robert Altman's adaptation of Michael Tolkin's novel gives the notorious director a chance to address perhaps his greatest nemesis: the Hollywood studio system. Disguised as a thriller, the film assembles virtually every famous actor in Hollywood to create an exhilarating blend of real... Robert Altman's adaptation of Michael Tolkin's novel gives the notorious director a chance to address perhaps his greatest nemesis: the Hollywood studio system. Disguised as a thriller, the film assembles virtually every famous actor in Hollywood to create an exhilarating blend of real life and fiction. Tim Robbins plays Griffin Mill, a studio executive who begins to fear for his job when upstart Larry Levy's (Peter Gallagher) name becomes a hot topic on the lot. After receiving threatening postcards from an unidentified writer, Griffin tracks down David Kahane (Vincent D'Onofrio), who he thinks is the guilty party. The two argue, with disastrous results. Later, as Griffin struggles to keep his job while trying to distance himself from the law, he finds himself falling in love with Kahane's mysterious girlfriend (Greta Scacchi). THE PLAYER is a vicious satire that exposes the Hollywood industry as fraudulent, weak, and shallow. Altman's film also sends up both the noir genre and filmmaking technique, the latter notably in an extended opening shot which is a sprawling one-take that covers the studio's entire lot and features a series of hysterical pitches by actual screenwriters, including Buck Henry offering forth on his concept for THE GRADUATE 2. Bitter and electric, THE PLAYER ends on an ironic upbeat note that perfectly concludes a stellar picture. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Whoopi Goldberg, Fred Ward, Peter Gallagher

Director: Robert Altman
Screenwriter: Michael Tolkin
Story: Michael Tolkin
Producer: David Brown, Michael Tolkin, Nick Wechsler

DVD Info

Release:

Nov 9, 1999

[DVD Details]

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Reviews

 
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Ratings Image
N/A

[It's] supposed to be scathing, but the pleasure it affords is like what you get from watching the Oscars: celebrity spotting and in-jokes.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/28/08
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
4/5

Cynical, sophisticated movie-industry-murder-mystery made with great attention to detail, and still one of the best examples of Hollywood turning the camera on itself.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/28/08
Jon Fortgang
Channel 4 Film
Ratings Image
N/A

Mercilessly satiric yet good-natured, this enormously entertaining slam dunk quite possibly is the most resonant Hollywood saga since the days of Sunset Blvd. and The Bad and the Beautiful.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/28/08
Variety Staff
Variety
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/30/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Ratings Image
A

A daringly seductive satire working on its relentless terms with a fluid pace. Under seemingly improv surface, Altman has deconstructed Hollywood with cynical but not bitter eye, suggesting it's hard but not impossible for artists to work in the factory

Full Review | comment Comment
10/05/06
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
06/24/06
Derek Adams
Time Out
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4/5

No review available.

comment Comment
12/05/05
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
Ratings Image
4/5

No review available.

comment Comment
10/06/05
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily
Ratings Image
5/5

As definitive a film about modern Hollywood as "Sunset Boulevard" was in its time.

comment Comment
07/06/05
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)
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4/5

No review available.

comment Comment
07/03/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Ratings Image
4/5

No review available.

comment Comment
05/17/05
Bill Chambers
Film Freak Central
Ratings Image
5/5

A hilarious and insightful look at Hollywood's shallow underbelly.

comment Comment
04/17/05
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com
Ratings Image
5/5

No review available.

comment Comment
01/08/05
Michael Dequina
Mr. Brown's Movies
Ratings Image
4/4

A movie about today's Hollywood -- hilarious and heartless in about equal measure, and often at the same time.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/23/04
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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4/5

No review available.

comment Comment
06/04/04
Sarah Chauncey
Reel.com
Ratings Image
3/5

No review available.

comment Comment
03/19/04
Michelle Alexandria
Eclipse Magazine
Ratings Image
5/5

An enticing, brilliantly scripted film about the movie industry and how the deals are made.

comment Comment
01/27/04
Moira Sullivan
FilmFestivals.com
Ratings Image
4/5

Essential to Altman's filmography, but it's not a complete Altman film.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/21/04
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Ratings Image
4/5

No review available.

comment Comment
11/18/03
Marcy Dermansky
About.com
Ratings Image
5/5

No review available.

comment Comment
08/22/03
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal
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