ChicDragon
It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.
Grimossfer
Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%
AnhartLinkin
This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.
Brendon Jones
It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Mike Tomano
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.
brightsides
I gave this film 3 stars for the earnestness of Julianne Moore and Mia Wasikowska, otherwise it was nothing short of an overwrought, self- indulgent mess. Maybe Hollywood insiders would find these characters intriguing, but for me I could not relate, nor care less about them and their family dramas. And I enjoyed several other Cronenberg films, just not this crap. Perhaps I'm being overly critical because I recently watched and thoroughly enjoyed the thought-provoking Clouds of Sils Maria with Juliette Binoche and Kristin Stewart. This film handled the subject of an actress having to come to grips with how age changes the game within the industry, particularly for women, with subtlety and finesse. Maps to the Stars hit you over the head with overacting, and everything-but-the-kitchen-sink situations including ghosts, threesomes, drug addictions, pyromania, etc, etc etc. Too much over-the-top craziness for my taste. And do I need to mention a completely ridiculous caricature performance from John Cusack? Ugggghhh, spare me.
Parker Lewis
I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I selected Maps to the Stars for my in-flight entertainment. I thought based on the title it would be like an updated version of Robert Altman's The Player. I was wrong. Maps to the Stars has Mia "Alice in Wonderland" Wasikowska in a role that has an undertone of innocence, and the ending scene with her on screen brother was haunting. Benjie's line "13 summers...not so bad" was said with no hint of regret or resignation before the horrible deed is done.I loved the rivalry between Benjie and the child actor with red hair during the shoots of Benjie's summer camp movie. But again, what Benjie did to the child actor rival was horror or horrible.I do wonder if any of the characters have redeeming features. Maps to the Stars is definitely not a date movie.
zellow31
I went to see this on a whim when I was out in the city centre. I walked past a cinema and thought I'd go and see a film by myself. There was one other person in the cinema and they left as well. I'm surprised because it has a good cast and a promising concept (I love Hollywood- gone-bad stories) but it fell flat, ultimately. It was strange, and not in a good way, and left me feeling oddly nauseous and unsettled. It wasn't thought-provoking, it was just tragically terrible. Even the terrific Julianne More couldn't save this one-dimensional rubbish. The teenage boy celeb was depressing to watch, John Cusack looked swollen and rubbery and everything else is just ultimately forgettable and soul-crushing. I left after I realised it wasn't getting any better (two thirds through the film).