During these quarantine days we don’t have a lot of entertainment. Personally, I can thank series and movies that rain on my netflix catalogue for my sanity.
Today I’m talking about one in specific, which was pretty meaningful to me and also triggered a great excitement. It left me hoping for more.
“Hollywood” tells the story of a group of young people who aspire to succeed in late 40’s Hollywood.
There are four main characters: Jack Castello, played by David Corenswet, a second world war veteran who aspires to become an actor; Raymond Ainsley, played by Darren Criss, an aspiring film director; Camille Washington, played by Laura Harrier, an afro-american girl who dreams to become an actress and is also Raymond’s girlfriend; and finally, Archie Coleman, played by Jeremy Pope, an aspiring screenwriter who’s also afro-american and gay, who wants to succeed in Hollywood with his first script.
Each story is very emotional in different ways, however, the peculiarity of the series, I´d say, comes from the fact that the “darkest” aspects are built on the simplicity of the comedy without underestimating the sensibility of the matter.
Some of the most referred subjects of the series are the quantity of power abuse that existed in Hollywood; how “growing up” in the media is not as easy as it seems to be; and also, the clear racism and homophobia that existed at the time and still persists.
Since the beginning of the show, and here the spoilers begin, we see that to succeed in Hollywood you need a “pretty face” but yet, more important: contacts; that’s shown by Jack and one of his friends who are standing in a crowd of people looking forward to appear as extras on any production. Later, when Jack starts working at a gas station, that also turns out to be an “escort service” for High Society members, these same women are the ones that help him make it to “Ace Studios”, the fictional Studios in which all this takes place. Avis Amberg is a famous ex-actress and also wife of the studios owner. Ace Amberg is also one of the women that acquires Jack services, and, despite all, ends up being close friends with him, pushing him to not give up suede all the upside downs of Hollywood by telling him her own personal history.
It’s important to mention that Jack is a married man who ends up working at the gas station in an act of “despair”, trying to give a better life to his pregnant woman and future children (yes, twins).
All four lives collide at a particular moment. Archie and Jack meet each other at an “Adults Movie Theater” in which Archie is found giving sexual pleasure to other men. Jack, using his “acting skills”, personifies a police officer and invites Archie to work at the gas station so he could attend “male customers”. It´s at the gas station where Archie meets Roy Fitzgerald (Jake Picking), also homosexual and an aspiring actor with whom he starts a romantic relationship while both of them pursue their dreams.
Jack Castello and Roy Fitzgerald finally find their way into “Ace Studios”, Roy, who’s artistic name is “Rock Hudson” hires a manager, Henry Willson played by Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory). This one’s a very interesting character to analyze. First of all, I must say, he represents everything that is bad with the Hollywood system, all managers, film directors, or producers that abuse their power by taking advantage of the dreams of the people that come to them; a very dark version, and I repeat, played in a comical way, that shows the darkest secrets of Hollywood itself and how to succeed there.
Henry Willson turns out to be gay, however, probably because of that time, he denies and criticizes it; but still takes advantage of his position to sexually abuse them, including Rock Hudson.
Back to “Ace Studios”, we get to meet the famous owner, Ace Amberg, who, at first, is only interested in money and doesn’t care about making good movies; he only wants to do profitable ones. We also meet his executive advisers, Richard “Dick” Samuels played by Joe Mantello, who’s also gay and who also hides frightment about losing his job and position as future executive producer, he thinks. And we meet also Ellen Kincaid, played by Holland Taylor, executive advertiser and also the actors´ mentor at the studios. She’s a huge fan of Camille, and she’s practically the only one with an“open mind”.
Finally, I’ll mention other supporting characters whose stories are also very important for the series plot. Claire Wood played by Samara Weaving is Amberg’s marriage daughter and also an aspiring actress; however, she has never been supported by her parents and that’s why she doesn’t have a great relationship with them. Ernie West played by Dylan McDermott is the gas station owner and Anna May Wong, a well known actress, who’s also asian.
The plot starts when Archie lends a draft of his script named “Peg” to Ace Studios, the script is based on the story of a caucasian (important to mention) girl who aspires to be an actress but at the end she kills herself by jumping of the “H” letter of the Hollywood sign, as of not being available to accomplish her dream.
Ace Studios decides to book the script, but they´re not aware that Archie´s an afro-american boy. Raymond is assigned as director and pre-production starts; but, oh, surprise! When Archie introduces himself the film is almost cancelled because of his race, however, after some talks and negotiations, the show goes on…
Camille is dreaming to achieve a main role at “Ace Studios” in spite of the constant supportive roles, such as a maid, they give to her because of her race;no matter how good actress she is. Claire also wants to achieve a main role, but her opportunities are limited without her parents´s support; and Jack wants to quit the gas station as Rock celebrates his first audition thanks to his manager.
That’s how the life of the characters collide, and how, the dreams of them all, despite expectations, starts becoming true. A lot of drama happens in between, obviously; but I’m not going to tell you much about it because it´d ruin the series feeling.
My emotions while watching the series were various: at first I hated it because it went on too slow, and at the end I hated it for finishing too fast. It has an ending that leaves a bunch of possibilities and makes you believe that Netflix will manage the way to make the first mini series with more than one season, ha-ha. The performances are astonishing, being the only ones “well-known” to be from Jim Parsons and Darren Criss. They achieved their goal, the spectator empathizes with each one of them, finding yourself; and at the end, celebrating their goals and crying their defeats, feeling the same feelings.
Jim Parsons and Rob Reiner, who plays Ace Amberg, accomplish the goal of being the most hated ones, but, you end up asking yourself, if they were true villains. If you ask me, I think there is no antagonist here, or maybe, all of them are? That makes the series so fascinating, as it comes to a point where you don’t know if the events are good or bad.
Jack and Roy are very bad actors in the show, but they have a “pretty face”, which is also a mock to actual society in where most famous actors are decided on how many followers they have. However David´s and Jack´s performances are astonishing; they know how to mock themselves at the basic rules of acting, learning and succeeding at the end.
Laura’s performance as Camille is very touching, to watch her never giving up and wanting to leave a message at society is inspiring. We see also Queen Latifah, playing Hattie McDaniel, her mentor; asking her, with tears on her eyes, to sit at the front on the Academy Awards, because before Hattie couldn’t attend, even though she won as “best supporting actress” she was asked to stay outside the event.
Personally my two favorite performances where: Samara’s (Claire Wood), who I didn’t know from preview movies, but accomplished to become an important part of the plot, being also one of those characters you don’t know if you have to love them or hate them; and also, who has a powerful story shown in the series, Michelle Krusiec (Anna May Wong) who’s a failure-actress, not being able to get a main role in a very acclaimed movie, and who’s also given roles based on her asian race.
Even though the moral can be interpreted in different ways, the main one, I think, is that you don’t have to be scared of who you are and that no matter what, you can accomplish your dreams and goals.
Hollywood is an ode to success, and not only cinematographically; you’re moved by thinking that this is an actual life reality, not being able to succeed with your essence.
“Hollywood” succeeded because it doesn’t talk with fear about the best kept secrets of the industry; it claims, without mercy, the reality that is still lived in the U.S.A. and also in the rest of the world, and how incredibly sad it is to have such a closed mind.
Hollywood invites you to dream but makes you aware of it not being easy.
But it also reiterates you that all stories have a happy ending.
