Maps to the Stars
2014
***½
Director: David Cronenberg
Cast: Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Olivia Williams, Evan Bird, Sarah Gadon, John Cusack, Robert Pattinson, Kiara Glasco, Jonathan Watton
A mysterious burn-scarred young woman secures a job as a PA to a fading actress, who is desperate to star in remake of a film which made her late mother famous. At the same time, a 13-year-old star of a hit movie is struggling with the sequel, his addiction, and his controlling parents. David Cronenberg's creepy satirical drama takes a scathing look at the dark underbelly of Hollywood. The screenplay by Bruce Wagner, who has turned this topic into a career, deals with the desires, obsessions, and insecurities of the inbred Hollywood elite, and it reveals the ugly truth behind the glamorous facade. There really isn't a single likeable character on screen, but this is a funny and deliciously nasty film with some first class performances (Moore, Wasikowska and Bird).
