I love movies about movies and The Stunt Man is a very entertaining addition to that sub-genre. I had the misconception that Peter O'Toole was the protagonist (given his nomination), but instead he plays the eccentric director who drives the real protagonist's story. He's definitely the highlight of the film and his character holds the whole movie together. Getting actors in the moment is something I've learned recently and the film is entirely about this director's struggle to get his actors in the moment. It's a concept that's fascinating to watch. With its blend of genres of action, comedy, romance and thriller, it can end up a muddle, especially with things I can't tell are plot holes or not. This mixture in tone gets to a point where its repetitive score is either a blessing or irritating depending on the scene. Unfortunately the film is let down by its lead character and performance who is ironically rarely believable and too bland to be relatable. But the film does have that 70s aesthetic of excess and grain borrowed from All That Jazz that I love.
7/10
7/10