Maps to the Stars

Dir: David Cronenberg

2014

****

David Cronenberg isn't really a film maker known for satire but then his 2014 film Maps to the Stars is very much satire done his way. The film saw a rocky road before filming began and I can see why it would have been a hard sell to the studios. Maps to the Stars shows a darker side of Hollywood and the idea of celebrity, featuring self-help gurus, washed up actresses and troubled child stars. The film boasts several striking performances. Julianne Moore plays somewhat of a washed up actress who has lived in the shadow of her mother who was a star from the golden era of Hollywood. She has delusions of grandeur but is insecure to the point of madness. She talks the talk but still sleeps with producers for parts. Her character is detestable and Moore plays her brilliantly. John Cusack plays Dr. Stafford Weiss, a psychologist come self-help guru to the stars. For all intents and purposes he is a fraud but he is adored by the rich and susceptible. His son is child-superstar Benjie, the epitome of the super-brat, played superbly by Evan Bird. The family secret he shares with his wife (Olivia Williams) is that he and she are actually siblings and their daughter (Mia Wasikowska) is an arsonist and was institutionalized and cut off by the couple when she burned down their Hollywood home. There are many other characters that pop up along the way and comparisons can be made with many of the real life Hollywood elite. Each character's story interweaves with each other and lines from Paul Eluard's 1942 poem Liberty are spoken throughout and lay the foundations of the overall theme. It's as deliciously dark as you'd expect from Cronenberg and makes for a great alternative to Robert Altman's The Player.