Maps To The Stars - Film Review

Justin Bieber-like teen star Benji (Evan Bird) calls his agent a “Jew faggot” and plays Russian Roulette with dogs. An older actress (Julianne Moore) begs for parts and has sad threesomes to please her boyfriend. A self-help guru (John Cusack) provides incest-themed therapy to his A-list clientele and attempts to hide a family secret. Meanwhile, an enigmatic burn victim (Mia Wasikowksa) arrives in Los Angeles “from Jupiter”, threatening to unravel all of their lives.  
Just another day in Hollywood, then.
Director David Cronenberg and writer Bruce Wagner combine forces in this lurid satire of Tinsel Town. With an anxiety-inducing synth soundtrack, flat visuals and claustrophobic ambience, Cronenberg attempts to imbue Maps to the Stars with the writhing sensibility of David Lynch’s nightmarish Mulholland Drive. However, the unalloyed cynicism feels like a bitter sketch played out at the expense of Hollywood – but, oh the irony, with a Hollywood budget.
Cronenberg and Wagner’s contempt for their characters manifests in clunky dialogue. The actors demonstrate an equal level of disdain, preventing them elevating their roles beyond caricature. There are crumbs of insight regarding the depravity of fame, but also an irony in critiquing Hollywood’s exploitative nature while needlessly showing Moore defecating, or Wasikowska’s “shameful” menstruation. A grating, rather than biting, attempt at satire.