I can't in my right mind say anything about David Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars without the disclaimer that most people will hate the film, especially in focusing on the fact that this movie is really, really weird. It's very good though. I really had a good time with it, just like with the other recent Cronenberg work. It's a crazy movie, but it achieves intensity, scariness,and biting hilarity at all the same times. It's a bold film that has a really rash thing to say, and it's not really in the mood to let anyone off the hook. Maps to the Stars is not really about one thing. It's more about a theme that Cronenberg and his screenwriter Bill Wagner are trying to very unsubtly push. Hollywood in its glamour and glory messes people up. Each one of the characters in the film all have their insanities. This makes the film not particularly fun and very grim (It's Cronenberg so that's fine), but it does make it compelling as anything I've ever seen. It also allows the film to be very darkly funny at times. The insanity of Hollywood is hilariously cringe-worthy, what with rich people complaining about their small problems. The absurdity of all of it is pushed up front and center. That's not to say that much of the film really is funny. Maps to the Stars, in fairly Cronenberg-ian fashion, has a way of destroying one’s faith in humanity. The film starts off more funny, and then takes a turn for the dark, throwing in elements of incest, murder, and schizophrenia. When it’s over you will be a little disturbed.That's not a particularly bad thing though. Again, grim is Cronenberg's thing, and he knows how to make the fall of his characters just as hard-hitting as it needs to be. What's really helpful is that the people working on the film the cast has served up some incredible work. Julianne Moore, fresh off a very well deserved win for Still Alice, actually won at Cannes this year for Maps to the Stars rather than Still Alice. That's understandable. She's startlingly good in this, and the performance would probably have as much power as her Oscar winner if it were in a more comforting film. The other real standout is John Cusack. He's not here for long, but it's really nice to see him in something that doesn't suck. He works well with the dialogue written by Bill Wagner, creating a truly despicable character. Robert Pattinson shows up and does what he did in Cosmopolis, but it works here. Mia Wasikowska also appears in a very good role. The film is kind of a large crockpot of weird, crazy ideas thrown together about the insanity of Hollywood, leading to it being quite uneven at times. The arches all come together eventually, but there are moments of inconsistency and confusion. Besides that, the cast really sells the material, however grim it may be. I give Maps to the Stars an 8 out of 10. Review by Stephen Tronicek. Edited by Holly Clemons.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archive
December 2017
CategoriesAuthorHello welcome to FilmAnalyst. My name is Stephen Tronicek, and I really like movies. This is a way to get my opinions out to people. Thank you for visiting. |