Among the sharks in Hollywood

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
German title Among the sharks in Hollywood
Original title Swimming with Sharks
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1994
length 89 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director George Huang
script George Huang
production Steve Alexander ,
Buzz Hays ,
Joanne Moore ,
Kevin Spacey
music Tom Hiel
camera Steven Finestone
cut Ed Marx
occupation

Under Sharks in Hollywood (Original title: Swimming with Sharks ) is an American tragic comedy directed by George Huang from 1994. The leading roles were played by Kevin Spacey , Frank Whaley and Michelle Forbes .

The film is also known under the reference titles The Buddy Factor and The Hollywood Factor .

action

Influential film producer Buddy Ackerman hires young film college graduate Guy as his assistant. Guy sees only the good side of the new job and hopes for a career in the film business. Despite the warnings from Ackerman's previous assistant Rex, Guy is initially extremely optimistic.

However, Ackerman quickly turns out to be a sadistic superior. He treats Guy like a slave, gives him pointless and overly extensive tasks and does not miss any opportunity to humiliate him in front of the team. At work, Guy meets producer Dawn Lockard and falls in love with her. However, the relationship suffers from the fact that Guy works too much and constantly takes on tasks for Ackerman even on days off.

Ackerman fires Guy after a year on the phone. Since Ackerman is on the phone with Lockard in a conference call, Guy also learns that she wants to visit his hated superior that night. Guy then sneaks into Ackerman's apartment, where he takes him hostage and tortures him in order to get revenge on him for all humiliations.

Ackerman also reveals his weaknesses in conversations with Guy. Still struggling with his wife's death, he tells Guy that he was bullied as an assistant, including by his superiors . Ackerman finds Guy's desire for a fast career strange, which must first earn promotions. Ackerman also believes that Guy is unsure of what exactly he wants to achieve.

Meanwhile, Dawn Lockard comes to Ackerman's house, where she finds him tied to a chair and abused. Ackerman provokes Guy; if he still wanted to achieve anything in the film business, he had to shoot him now. Instead, Lockard tries to convince him otherwise and to put the gun down. Guy fires a shot.

However, he did not shoot Ackerman, but Dawn Lockard. Police believe Lockard kidnapped and tortured Ackerman. Guy is promoted instead and now appears to have become a tough businessman too. In a conversation, he told a former classmate that he had found out what he really wanted and that it would be easy to go your own way once you found this out. Meanwhile, Ackerman stands in the doorway and smiles. He then calls Guy into his room for a chat.

criticism

Roger Ebert saw in Under Sharks in Hollywood a detailed description of the film industry with great black humor , but also some bitterness. The end is conclusive in the logic of the story, but overall not satisfactory and should have been written differently:

"Guy learns the biggest lesson of all from Buddy, and in the dark humor of that logic, the film finds its conclusion. ... His plot may be overwritten and the ending may be less than satisfying, but his eye and ear are right. In Hollywood, where power is the ultimate aphrodisiac, it is also the ultimate excuse for almost any conceivable behavior. Powerful executives, agents and stars behave the way they do - because they can. Huang finds great humor in that situation, and, unless I am mistaken, some quiet bitterness as well. "

- Roger Ebert

Even James Berardinelli found in the first half with Sharks some great scenes, but would always less towards the center of the film. The script lacks momentum and clarity in the second half.

"Swimming with Sharks contains some tremendous scenes. Most of these are early in the film, before it takes its bleak detour. Certain comments about Hollywood are scathing, pointed, and hilarious. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be enough material here to satisfy a full length feature, and the movie, which starts with such promise, begins to drag around its midpoint. From then on, despite a few brief rallies, the script never regains its early momentum or clarity, and, by the closing credits, Swimming with Sharks is just treading water. "

- James Berardinelli

The lexicon of international film particularly emphasized the satirically exaggerated insights into the film business:

"A black comedy about the Hollywood business, which - albeit satirical inflated - provides insights into the profession."

- Lexicon of International Films

Awards

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Swimming with Sharks at rogerebert.suntimes.com, accessed November 2, 2011
  2. ↑ Swimming with Sharks at reelviews.net, accessed November 2, 2011
  3. ↑ Among Sharks in Hollywood in the Lexicon of International FilmsTemplate: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used , accessed November 2, 2011