Maps to the Stars (2014)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Thanks for the memories!

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

I didn't know much about this film before reading about it, to be honest, I just remembered the title and that critics gave it positive reviews, so that was enough for me to give it a try, directed by David Cronenberg (Scanners, Videodrome, The Fly). Basically the Weiss family are current Hollywood royalty, father Dr. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a celebrity psychotherapist to the stars, but more famous than him seems to be his bad boy thirteen-year-old son Benjie (Evan Bird), star of the hit movie Bad Babysitter. The sequel is currently filming, it is a comeback of sorts for Benjie, following his stint in drug rehab, his career is managed by his mother Christina (Olivia Williams), she is also Hollywood royalty herself, her actress mother Clarice Taggart (Sarah Gadon) died years ago in a house fire. Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore) is a middle-aged actress past her prime, she is hoping to remake the movie Stolen Waters, playing the role made famous by her own mother, also Clarice, who received an Oscar nomination. Havana has been spending time in therapy, as she felt that Clarice abused her, and she has haunting visions of her mother, but Havana also has emotional issues related to her declining career and how she is now perceived in Hollywood. Through a loose connection with Carrie Fisher, Havana hires new Hollywood arrival Agatha (Mia Wasikowska) as her personal assistant, Agatha has severe burn scars across her face and body that she tries to cover up. Agatha begins a friendship and possible relationship with an aspiring actor and writer Jerome Fontana (Robert Pattinson), he is working as a limousine driver until he gets his big break, he uses whatever life experience to work on his movie career. Agatha is in fact part of the Weiss family, she is schizophrenic and has returned from a sanatorium, she was the person who set the house on fire that killed Clarice, so for years Benjie has wanted nothing to do with her. In the end, after many issues are brought out into the open between the characters, Havana humiliates Agatha until she beats the actress to death with one of her own awards, Cristina is set on fire near the swimming pool and Stafford is left in a catatonic state, Benjie and Agatha reunite at the ruins of their old home that burned down, and they commit suicide together taking an extreme amount of pills together, before lying down to watch the stars. Also starring Kiara Glasco as Cammy. Moore is excellent as the faded star wanting to regain her stardom, Bird is great as the Justin Bieber like child diva, and there is terrific support from Wasikowska, Williams and Cusack. This is definitely in the same vibe of movies looking at the dark side of Hollywood, like Mommie Dearest and Sunset Boulevard, it is poignant, surreal and twisted, a fascinating and interesting satirical drama. Good!

OMG - I don't know why I rented this film, but I didn't like it. Directed by David Cronenberg, "Maps to the Stars" from 2014 is about the seamier side of Hollywood. Believe me, after you see this, you'll have no interest in any side of Hollywood.The story deals with several different people. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is psychotherapist to the stars. He and his wife (Olivia Williams) share several secrets. Their teenage son, Benjie (Evan Bird), is a big star, totally obnoxious, and a drug addict, who refers to his assistant as a "Jew faggot." Now, someone on IMDb thought this kid was not totally unlikable. I did. Benjie has a sister, Agatha, who has been gone from the family for 7 years, under mysterious circumstances, after she set fire to the house. She actually is back in LA, at first unbeknownst to them, with a lot of burns on her body, working as a personal assistant to Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore). Havana's mother was a big star who died in a fire, so apparently, Havana feels connected to Agatha. Havana is an over-the-hill actress who wants to play her mother's role in a remake of one of her movies. Someone else is cast, but when that woman's little boy drowns, Agatha is thrilled. Agatha believes her mother abused her, and is in therapy with Stafford Weiss.Robert Pattinson plays an actor who works as a chauffeur. He's also writing a screenplay.After dealing with the drugs, the insults, the descriptions of what actresses let producers do to them to get roles, the threesome, the incest, the visions of dead children, etc., I was ready to slit my wrists.I'm sure Cronenberg fans will find plenty to enjoy here. I was left wondering why I watched it.

A slight departure for Cronenberg, but his unflinching style to delve into the darkness of psychosis is still prevalent. Intertwining stories revolving around the shallow lust for fame in Hollywood. Julianne Moore turns in her usual terrific performance as an actress looking to make a comeback in a biopic of her late cult-star mother. Other performances are solid, as well. The humor is cynical, the script is taut and brings out the depth...or lack of...in each character. Recommended.

Maps to the Stars is a relatively strong but somehow disturbing view of the life of Hollywood stars. Although, if that was actually the purpose of the movie, it should have a broader scope and less self indulgence.Anyway...this is the story of a strange family where, without their knowledge, a brother and a sister met, married, and have 2 children, a boy and a girl. The girl sets their house on fire () and they sent her to a far far away clinic until she was 18. Although the family (the 2 parents, and their son who turned to a star child actor) are very successful financially, they are very dysfunctional as a family and as persons.The movie is shot brightly and that is something that I liked, but the pace is inconsistent. Overall it has a surreal feel especially because the purposely blunt performance of Mia Wasikowska.Julianne Moore performance is a little over the top but it is effective. Evan Bird as the 13 yo spoiled child star gives a solid performance.David Cronenberg always tries to provoke, so expect some male frontal nudity, lots of screaming, and you even get to see Julianne Moore ...fart a few times while on toilet with constipation. Also the price for the ...feces of a movie star costs around $3000 each.Overall: For the purpose of showing a glimpse at least of the Hollywood madness this surreal movie is effective. For that purpose though, there are other movies out there, deeper and with more levels than this.