REEL CRITICS -- DOUBLE TAKE:It’s a good cast, it’s got style, it’s a flop

I remember when George Reeves died in 1959.

He was a hero to many kids who used to watch “The Adventures of Superman” on TV after school, and his reported suicide was a great shock. We didn’t mind the padded suit, the cheesy dialogue and special effects: He captured our imaginations.

In “Hollywoodland,” director Allen Coulter dissects Reeves’ celebrity with “what-if” scenarios, all told in wonderfully entertaining flashbacks. The ‘50s are elegantly recreated, and the acting is terrific. But the movie is overly ambitious and loses momentum when it strays too far from the mysterious circumstances surrounding Reeves’ death.

Ben Affleck plays the Man of Steel and, in a case of art imitating life, is perfect as an actor battling with the trappings of fame.

By 1951, Reeves was reduced to taking parts in schlocky pictures, his dreams of being the next Clark Gable all but faded, until the dubious offer for a TV show came up.

Ironically, the success of “Superman” only served to further quash his hopes of a big screen career. After its cancellation, Reeves was again hard pressed to find work right up until his sudden, violent end.

An opportunistic private investigator named Louis Simo (a pleasantly sleazy Adrien Brody) is hired by Reeves’ mother to find out if her son committed suicide or if he was actually murdered.

Was he killed by longtime lover Toni Mannix (Diane Lane, always great), the wife of a big studio exec (Bob Hoskins) after being dumped for a younger woman, Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney)? Or perhaps, Leonore shot George in a drunken argument?

Or maybe, a frustrated George Reeves did take his own life. “Hollywoodland” doesn’t solve any mysteries, but it does take a long, sad look at a once-glamorous era when it seemed that charm and good looks alone were all it took to be a hero.

Allen Coulter directed episodes of “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City” on HBO. He is well versed in the portrayal of adult situations involving crime, money, love and lust.

In “Hollywoodland,” he brings all these elements to the story of George Reeves, the TV “Superman” of the 1950s. His life was ended by a fatal gunshot fired in the bedroom of his home. Whether his death was suicide or murder has long been the subject of tabloid speculation.

Coulter taps into the steamy ambience of “L.A. Confidential” to create the retro look and feel of Los Angeles in that period. The costumes, music and production values are noteworthy. But it’s the A-list stars telling the story of this B-movie actor that gives the film its weight.

Ben Affleck is perfectly cast as Reeves past his prime. Bob Hoskins is great as hard-boiled MGM studio exec Eddie Mannix. Diane Lane is best of all as Eddie’s sultry wife with a roving eye. She buys Reeves a house so he can be her steady on-call lover.

Oscar-winner Adrien Brody plays the two-bit private detective who sticks his nose into everybody’s business trying to solve the riddle of Reeves’ death.

The fine acting and technical achievements might get some minor Oscar nominations. But the less than stellar screenplay keeps this film from being another “Chinatown.”

While the plot can be gripping at times, it’s slow and drawn out at over two hours. Repetitive scenes present three alternative theories of Reeves’ death, but without a final resolution.

“Hollywoodland” has its moments, but it’s not completely satisfying. Still, it’s a cut above the mindless summer movies we’ve been getting.