When I was a film studies major, I did my senior thesis on self referential films and self aware characters. One of the films I discussed at length was The Player, inspired by the novel of the same name by Michael Tolkin.

The Return of the Player by Michael Tolkin is set about a decade after the original book. At the close of the original book. At the close of the original, Griffin Mill was at he top of the world. He'd gotten away with murder, had a hit film and a beautiful new wife.

To shake things up, The Return of the Player resets things. Griffin is facing divorce and expensive alimony to his first wife. The studio has shown him the door and he's having to beg for work.

He does commit another murder but it lacks the edge, shock or effect as the murder in the first book. Griffin has gone soft. He's not the sociopath he once was.

In fact, rather than being a cynical look at how Hollywood works, The Return of the Player ends up being about Griffin's sex life. YAWN. He's not edgy or even original. It's just sophomoric. ( )