THE PLAYER (1992) C widescreen 115m dir: Robert Altman

w/Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopie Goldberg, Peter Gallagher, Brion James, Cynthia Stevenson, Dean Stockwell, Richard E. Grant, Sydney Pollack, Dina Merrill

If SUNSET BLVD. is the Hollywood movie of the Golden Age, then THE PLAYER is the ultimate movie about the modern era of filmmaking. Wickedly funny, with a rousing cast (including 65 luminaries playing themselves --- see if you can find them all), the script about a murdered screenwriter is filled with knowing references and ascerbic exchanges. The good news is that the film is not so inside that it can't be enjoyed by everyone. It is a mystery with a twist that looks terrific, is wonderfully acted , and is brilliantly directed by a man who skewers the Hollywood that has often done him wrong. Written by Michael Tolkin from his cult novel, the author also appears with his brother Stephen as a filmmaking duo.