When the BBFC warns you that 'Maps To The Stars' contains "strong sex, sexual abuse references, violence and very strong language" they aren't kidding.
A new David Cronenberg movie is always something to look forward to. They're a bit like albums by The Fall. You always know what you're going to get but you actually never quite get what you think you're going to get. Anyway, this for me is his best work since 'Existenz' and while it still has the cool, precise, detached tone of recent offerings like 'A Dangerous Method' and 'Cosmopolis' it is a much more satisfying watch. At times it's even funny in it's own twisted way but you'll feel bad about laughing out loud.
This is a film that holds up a mirror to the heart of darkness that is Hollywood in 2014 and doesn't for a moment avert its gaze. This is Cronenberg's 'Sunset Boulevard' or 'The Player' or 'Mullholland Dr.' but it's nastier and more warped than any of them. As far as I can remember 'Sunset Boulevard' doesn't feature full frontal male masturbation, threesomes, incest, drugs, child on child violence and Robert Pattinson feeling up a burns victim.
Starstruck Agatha (the just brilliant Mia Wasikowska) takes the greyhound bus to tinsel town with no game plan other than knowing Carrie Fisher quite well on twitter. She wears elbow length gloves at all times in the L.A. heat. She is scarred inside and out but the Fisher connection is enough to secure her a position as PA to narcissistic, fading actress Havana Segrand (the quite brilliant Julianne Moore).
Havana Segrand is connected to Hollywood royalty by birth; being the daughter of a legendary movie star mother who died in a tragic fire. Desperate to to take an Oscar baiting role in the remake of her mother's most famous film, Havana is also working through abuse issues with a (very) hands on new age therapist guru Dr. Stafford Weiss (the just brilliant John Cusack).
Dr Weiss' wife (the just brilliant Olivia Williams) is the ultimate pushy mother and their son is an obnoxious, foul mouthed, drug abusing teen star (the just brilliant Evan Bird) who is surely modelled on Justin Bieber.
And Robert Pattinson drives a limousine. God only knows what the Twilight fans are going to make of this though.
As you may have realised, everyone in this movie is fucked up.
fucked up
fucked up
fucked up
fucked up
fucked up
David Cronenberg
Just how fucked up becomes apparent as the plot unravels and ghosts of the past appear in ways more literal than you'd imagine.
Unlike, say, 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' nothing here is extraneous. Every scene reveals something about plot and character. It's Greek tragedy, it's black comedy, it's a piss take of melodramas, it's a primal scream and it's fucking out there. What does it all mean? No idea, I'm still processing that one. It's probably just a warning to the curious.
The most fucked up movie of the year. In a good way.
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