Lovely little movie

Rating: 7/10 (18 February 2001)

It is strange that director with the obvious talents of Tim Burton would chose to make a film about the worst filmmaker who ever lived. However, in light of recent research about the inability of the incompetent to know they are incompetent, it seems to be a clear case study of just such a person.
That being said, despite the fact the film didn't make any money (despite costing next to nothing to make), the film is well put together and compelling in its own way. Moreover, considering the budget of Burton's previous movies (Batman, Batman Returns) and the weaknesses of the subsequent one (Mars Attacks), this one stands up with his better work. Burton seems to cast by random chance (Michael Keaton as Batman!), but instead he seems to know exactly what an actor is capable of. Johnny Depp as Wood is allowed to be the only one who is allowed to be in on the joke, yet ironically he is the only character who can't see the folly of his ways. He brings a passion to Wood that isn't there in real life (check out Wood's own performance in Glen or Glenda), but his passion for his work brings us sympathy as he goes from botched production to botched production.
Martin Landau also seems miscast as Bela Lugosi (the real Lugosi would have appeared to be a midget against the much taller Landau), but like Lugosi's stand-in in "Plan 9", he too manages to walk the fine line between passion and overacting.
Thus while Wood fails as a director, he succeeds as a human being. He may have made the world's worst films, but at least he made a modest living doing what he enjoyed doing and lived out his dream.