Jimmy Hollywood (1994) * *

 

Directed by:  Barry Levinson

Starring:  Joe Pesci, Christian Slater, Victoria Abril, Jason Beghe, John Cothran

Jimmy Alto (Pesci) is getting a late start on becoming an actor in Hollywood, but he doesn't lack confidence.  Like so many before and after Jimmy, he believes superstardom is one call away.  He even takes out a trade ad on a bus stop bench advertising himself.  When the phone rings, however, Jimmy is usually found hanging out by the pool of his apartment complex with his best friend William (Slater).  William is as quiet as Jimmy is loud and loquacious.  Most of Jimmy's dialogue is in fact a monologue, with William nearby just to lend his ears.   If William weren't around, Jimmy would be seen as someone who talks to himself or an actor reciting dialogue.  Sometimes, it's hard to tell the difference.

Jimmy Hollywood, written and directed by the usually top-notch Barry Levinson, has such a strong setup, but it is sad when it degenerates into a crime story where Jimmy becomes a vigilante in order to gain fame and stop crime (in that order).  One night, Jimmy learns his live-in girlfriend (Abril) was mugged and later his car broken into.  He decides to wait for the thieves to come back and then have William videotape what happens.  The thief returns and Jimmy throws him into the trunk, depositing him in front of a police station with a note signed "S.O.S." which William thought was the initials for Steven O. Selznick, who he thinks was producer of Gone with the Wind.  It was David O. Selznick, but close enough.  Jimmy then names his vigilante "group" Save Our Streets, and because he can't resist the spotlight, he sends videotaped messages to the police as Jericho, the shadowy leader of the S.O.S. 

The first thirty minutes of Jimmy Hollywood are full of vibrant energy, mostly due to the wired Pesci performance.   Abril and Slater are much quieter and provide balance, especially Slater as Jimmy's disciple who hangs on Jimmy's every word.  But, then the plot kicks in, and the performances are lost in the shuffle.  However, the end credit sequences featuring Harrison Ford are not only funny, but an insider's view of moviemaking that would've served Jimmy Hollywood better than the vigilante plot.