HOLLYWOOD, narcissistic beast that it is, loves movies about its own industry.

Sunset Boulevard and All About Eve are two of the greatest examples on a long list, and this year there has been an influx of them once again.

Brian De Palma added The Black Dahlia, the mystery of a murdered actress, to the pot, and now we have television director Allen Coulter's big-screen debut, Hollywoodland.

It concerns the real-life demise of the actor George Reeves (Ben Affleck), who, despite dreams of an illustrious career, played Superman on television in the 1950s and found himself artistically constrained by the role.

One of the first images we see is the actual headline of June 16, 1959, "TV's Superman, out of work, kills self", when Reeves was found dead in his house, with a bullet wound in his head.

But, as the film progresses, what unravels is more of a general depiction of the destructive possibilities that may follow, should you choose to immerse yourself in such a business.

Film focus Starring: Ben Afleck, Adrien Brody, Diane Lane
Director: Allen Coulter (Sex and the City, The Sopranos)
Running time: 126min
In a word: Evocative
Our verdict: Watch it
If you want to know more:

www.hollywoodland movie.com

We're constantly taken backwards and forwards in time, experiencing the events of the story with either scuzzy private investigator Louis Simo (Adrien Brody) - who sees that there may be money to be made from the case, but ends up just as sucked in by the irregularities in the police reports - or Reeves.

We watch the latter schmooze his way into Hollywood parties, trying to get his picture in the trades, and fall in with infamous studio boss Eddie Mannix's wife, Toni (Diane Lane). The two begin a serious affair and she buys him a house and sets him up with the audition that eventually lands him his TV job as the iconic American hero.

Hollywoodland has been extremely well received since its first screenings, and Affleck has resurrected his career - and established some much-needed credibility post-J-Lo - with a smooth turn as Reeves, winning both Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival and Supporting Actor of the Year at the Hollywood Film Festival for his trouble.

He's a man who certainly knows a thing or two about a star who is pigeonholed and then derided for his glossy leading man status, and has obviously brought his real-life experience to the table.

And he's absolutely matched by his co-stars, especially a luminous Lane and by the very adaptable Brody.

Coulter has managed to make a quality, unshowy film, as much about human nature as anything else, which should delight fans of movies such as LA Confidential and of a good murder-mystery yarn, well told.