Maps To The Stars (2014) film review

Year: 2014
Running Time: 111 minutes
Director: David Cronenberg
Writer: Bruce Wagner
Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Julianne Moore, John Cusack, Olivia Williams, Evan Bird, Robert Pattinson, Sarah Gadon, Dawn Greenhalgh

Maps To The Stars was the Opening Night film at the 2014 Canberra Film Festival and also screened on November 1. Will be released in Australia on November 20 and distributed by Entertainment One.

Maps To The Stars isn't the leisurely stroll down Hollywood Boulevard that many may be expecting, but it is completely compelling with its intensity, valiance and dark satirical nature. David Cronenberg's latest is a brilliant and in depth study of Hollywood as a culture and the personalities often found in it's midst. The enticing, but incredibly evil screenplay is supported by superb performances by it's cast, particularly Julianne Moore and Evan Bird. There is nothing nice about Maps To The Stars, but that is what makes it brilliant.

As a young woman, Agatha (Mia Wasikowska) alights the bus in Los Angeles and gets into a limo driven by aspiring actor, Jerome (Robert Pattinson), she appears to be just another hopeful that has come to Hollywood with stars in her eyes. However, Agatha is the estranged daughter of the high profile Weiss family who brought disgrace on the family many years earlier and was sent far away from her younger brother, Benjie (Evan Bird) who is a troubled teenager star not as concerned with his sister's return as his mother, Christina (Olivia Williams) and father, Stafford (John Cusack). Stafford finds out about his daughter's return to Los Angeles from one of his clients, actress Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore) who Agatha has started working for. Havana suffers with classic Hollywood problems of her own, fuelled by the spectre of her actress mother, Clarice Taggart (Sarah Gadon) who died in a fire when Havana was young.

Maps To The Stars paints an incredibly dark portrait of modern day Hollywood that doesn't shy away from the ugly side of the industry that the power people work so hard to cover up. Despite having a confronting and evil personality which many will find too much to forgive, the film is awfully sure of itself and committed to it's purpose and what it is representing. Maps To The Stars has been likened to films such as Sunset Blvd which are technically making fun of the industry that they are made in, but this modern day Hollywood tale doesn't have a problem showing it's audience the uncensored and often shocking world of debauchery the stars live in. Bruce Wagner's screenplay is brutal and twisted, but brave and brilliant in the way that it doesn't give the audience the satisfaction of knowing exactly where it is going.

Although it is a satire and exaggerated for entertainment value, there are elements of the film which are intriguing case studies of the industry's culture and certain Hollywood stereotypes. There are the little idiosyncrasies in the characters that those who are familiar with Hollywood types will recognise and other relatable cultural aspects of the town such as the minimal degrees of separation between everyone and the paranoia (and often truth) that everyone is only out for themselves. Maps To The Stars also shows how the world of excess that comes with fame and fortune can seem idyllic on the surface, but it is this excess that leads to the evil doings that are read about in the media and seen in the film. The more people have, the more they have to get in trouble with. The film seeks to answer the question that many ask after reading about celebrities in tabloids who go rogue, how do they go off the rails when they live such a charmed life? They have access to far more that they need and as a result, have far more that they can lose.

The depth of character in Maps To The Stars is extraordinary. While the film is first and foremost a case study of Hollywood and it's inhabitants, the characters also exhibit characteristics which are not mutually exclusive to that group of people. Havana Segrand, played flawlessly by Julianne Moore is an incredibly well crafted character who's characteristics represent those not only of such a Hollywood star, but also of a damaged person as such. Havana represents the child of Hollywood who has grown up in the shadow of her beautiful and talented mother. Now facing the reality of becoming a Hollywood "has been" and actively trying to avoid self-destructive behaviour (which doesn't always work), she feels her mother's ghost even more so. She see's in the mysterious Agatha a chance to redeem herself in her mother's eyes, due to the similarities between the girl and Clarice. Havana is an example of one who did not have the relationship with her parent that she would have and is continuously looking for a way to feel atoned. Moore is spectacular and makes the character of Havana one who is intriguing and, like many celebrities who are on the path the disaster, the audience cannot wait to see what she does next.

The Weiss family are an extremely troubled with many secrets which they try to keep hidden from the world as well as from themselves. Whether in the public eye or not, it is not uncommon for children to repeat their parents mistakes as they learn from them just by watching as they grow up. This is the case with Agatha and Benjie, but in particular Agatha who understands to an extent what is happening while Benjie is too young. Evan Bird is wonderful as Benjie Weiss. He is incredibly hard to like as he represents the spoiled and arrogant child star, but at the same time is fantastic to watch. He is the representation of the young star who truly misses out on being a child due in part to being introduced to alcohol and drugs at such a young age. Even though he is a character one loves to hate, he is sympathized with at certain moments in the film where he is on the verge of feeling real emotion, but stops himself in order to protect his persona even only in front of himself.

Mia Wasikowska shows her superb acting range in Maps To The Stars as Agatha is many things. Although eighteen, she is still very much the little girl that her parents neglected. Her father says "I don't know who she is anymore", and Agatha feels much the same way about herself. Her identity is lost somewhere in her parents and brother's identities, but she also looks to Clarice Taggart for clarification. She also tells herself and Jerome lies that make her feel better about herself and forget where she comes from. Agatha is an extremely twisted character who seems dangerous and psychotic, but also just very confused about who she really is.

Maps To The Stars is a rare film that delves deep into the world it exists in and tells an intriguing narrative at the same time. It's confronting look at the world of excess that exists in Hollywood in the twenty-first century will not be to the liking of many, but will entertain those who appreciate the reasoning behind the madness.

8.5/10

The Butler (2013)

 

 

Year: 2013
Running Time: 132 minutes
Director: Lee Daniels
Writer: Danny Strong (screenplay), Wil Haygood (article)
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lenny Kravitz, Robin Williams, John Cusack, Terrence Howard, Elijah Kelley, Yaya Alafia, James Marsden, Minka Kelly, Live Schreiber, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda

The Butler opens in Australian cinemas on the 31st October 2013 and is distributed by Hopscotch Films.

Whilst The Butler may not be the flawless masterpiece that many were hoping it would be, there is still no denying that it is an enjoyable and entertaining slice of modern American history on the big screen.

Lee Daniels latest is a fine feature which offers the viewer a great deal of information regarding the changing face of America's racial relations and the role of presidency in the White House. Although The Butler is extremely thorough in it's examination of the major events in the USA of the past 60 years, this attempt to cover so much results in the depth and emotion of the film suffering. Yet, the representation of the times and the acting being so impressive means that there is still so much to marvel at in The Butler.

The butler is Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), a man who's journey takes him from slavery in the cotton fields of Georgia to the White House in Washington, DC. He is directly effected by the changes that are slowly taking place for the coloured of America as his son, Louis (David Oyelowo) becomes active in trying to orchestrate these changes. As the years progress, Cecil serves and has his own special encounters with each of the American presidents. While he is told to make sure the presidents feel as though there is no one in the room when he is present, all the presidents are aware of Cecil's presence and value his contribution to the White House and their presidency.

There is so much covered in The Butler which is both a blessing and a curse at the same time. It is a blessing because, as previously said, it is a thorough study into recent American history in regards to racial relations and the office of President. Lovers of American history will find this film to be an absolute treat for how much they will see being recreated. The period of the 1960-70's in the southern states is very well done, but still quite disturbing. There is also the perfect musical score to accompany each period in time represented. It is the portrayals of the different presidents that many Americans will be interested to see in The Butler and these portrayals are definitely intriguing. Unlike many other historical films which past US presidents have been featured in, these presidents are not the focal point of the film, but are the supporting players in Cecil's story. Dwight Eisenhower (Robin Williams), John F. Kennedy (James Marsden), Lyndon Johnson (Liev Schreiber), Richard Nixon (John Cusack) and Ronald Reagan (Alan Rickman) are the presidents featured in the film, and there is also a small scene with Martin Luther King (Nelsan Ellis).

As well as these historical representations, there is also Cecil's personal family life which is featured greatly throughout the film. While all these events are taking place, Cecil also fights to keep his marriage to Gloria (Oprah Winfrey) alive and well and to be a present and effective father to Louis and Charlie (Elijah Kelley). As one may expect, this is a lot to fit into one film. At 132 minutes, The Butler is not a short film to begin with, but it is still not long enough to pack all of this in without it feeling rushed. So much is covered yet isn't covered in great detail. It feels like many details are just skimmed over and not gone into too much detail as there is just not enough time to. As a result, it does feel as though there is a lack of depth and emotion in the film. This isn't to say that it doesn't evoke emotion at all, because the film absolutely does. However, this emotion could have been pushed further and just as you begin to feel something, it is lost as you have to move onto the next thing. Even though the film is enjoyable, it does feel considerably rushed (particularly the last decade of Cecil's term), which is a strange thing to feel in a film which is over two hours long.

Forest Whitaker is wonderful as Cecil Gaines. Towards the beginning of the film he takes seizes the chance to make his character as likable as possible so that the audience can go on this journey with him and feel connected. Again, there are times which he could have taken his performance much further emotionally, but this isn't to say that his performance flat-lines in the emotional department.

Oprah Winfrey makes an incredible return to the big screen as Gloria. Her character is a very real woman with a great deal of character. She has her flaws, but also her undying love for her family, She is superb, and you stop seeing the talk show host in her as soon as she opens her mouth for the first time.

David Oyelowo is also very good and displays wonderful character development throughout the film as his character grows from a boy into a man. Yaya Alafia also does very well as Louis' love interest, Carol. Cuba Gooding Jr and Lenny Kravitz are great to watch on screen, especially Gooding who provides much of the comedy relief. Although each of the actors who play the presidents do well, none of them are really given enough of a part to be outstanding. However, Minka Kelly and Jane Fonda, who play Jacqueline Kennedy and Nancy Reagan, do particularly well as the first ladies.

You can tell that The Butler intended to be far more than it actually is. Yet, it is still entertaining and a bit of fun to watch.

7/10

Hot Tub Time Machine

Hot Tub Time Machine
Year: 2010
Director: Steve Pink
Cast: John Cusack, Clark Duke, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, Chevy Chase

In My Own Words
I remember the first time I heard about “Hot Tub Time Machine”. My fiancé and I went to the Arclight Cinema in Hollywood in February to see “The Wolfman”. When the preview for “Hot Tub Time Machine” came on, we look at one another at one another with our “You have got to be joking” looks. Let’s look at the concept for a moment. A group of guys go away together, jump into a hot tub and get transported back to the 1980’s. Come on. What a ludicrous concept. Judging a movie by its title, you would have to think that people are running out of ideas for films. However...after I have seen the film, it reminds me how good scriptwriters can make even the most ridiculous ideas work on screen. I was pleasantly surprised. So I give a huge thumbs up to the writers, Josh Heald, Sean Anders and John Morris, for making “Hot Tub Time Machine” work.

One thing that I really enjoy about being a reviewer, is seeing how audiences vary across different films. A couple of weeks ago I was watching “The Last Station” thinking how at 27, I was definitely the youngest in the audience. Today, I thought I was going to be the oldest in the audience. Funny that considering the film is rated MA15+ here in Australia. I’m positive that there were some young boys in the cinema that were not 15 yet. Friday night at the cinemas is an interesting night. All the rowdy school kids come out to play and the boys love yelling things out to make the others laugh. There is always a pattern to this too. They start off in the previews and everyone laughs, 15 minutes into the film when they do it again they get told to where to go. There comes a point in time when their rowdiness, which starts off being funny to their peers, just becomes annoying to everyone else. I can’t help but just sit there and giggle. Was I ever like them? Surely not.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
“Hot Tub Time Machine” wins most ridiculous movie title of the year, but could also win the biggest surprise packet of the year. Like the title, it is very silly, but it is also fun, funny and entertaining. Not everyone’s type of humour, but much funnier than the majority of films in the same genre of humour that this film belongs in. The film begins with the coming together of old friends, Adam (John Cusack) who has just broken up with his wife, Nick ( Craig Robinson) who is not the pant wearer in his relationship and the out of control troublemaker of the friends, Lou (Rob Corddry). They decide to relive old times and go up to Kodiak Valley and take Adam’s nephew, nerdy Jacob (Clark Duke). After arriving and finding that things are definitely not as they left them, they retreat to the hot tub, which has amazingly started working after it was plagued by dead animals when they arrived, for a night of binge drinking. They awake the next morning to find everyone wearing fluro and listening to walkmans, all pointing to the fact that they have gone back in time to the 1980’s. Now they are all able to go back and do the things they have always wanted to do differently, or will they?

If you go into “Hot Tub Time Machine” expecting it to be ridiculous and gruesome, you will be pleasantly surprised. Truth being told it is not going to win any awards and is not the best acting performances by any of these performers. You will definitely get the most out of this film with the lowest expectations. However, it is a great story of friendship and a reminder of how you should make every moment count as, unlike in this film, people are not able to go back and recreate those moments that make your future. Pretty in depth for a film by the name of “Hot Tub Time Machine”. It is very well written and the director, Steve Pink, and the writers have made not a bad film out of a very silly concept, which signifies a job very well done. There are still some very silly moments and there are many things that just don’t make sense. Some people may see this as one of the funniest movies of the year and it may well be the funniest film of the year for people who like this sense of humour, while other s will still see it as completely ludicrous and in some parts, completely revolting. In other words, it does depend who you are and what your sense of humour is as to whether you will like this film.

Whether you are into this type of humour or not, there are undeniably some very funny moments. John Cusack’s, Adam is probably the least funny out of the characters, yet Cusack still has that likable persona. Lou, played by Rob Corddry, can be extremely vile at times, yet does give some of the great one liners of the film. Perhaps one of the funniest parts of the film is the one-armed Phil and the way he is incorporated into the film is very clever.

“Hot Tub Time Machine” is a lot of fun silliness. However silly it may be, it is not nearly as silly as what a movie with this concept could be. Definitely a funny film and very entertaining from start to finish. Just take this film as what it is, don’t expect to see amazing visuals or fantastic acting, just watch it to have fun, have a laugh and to relive some great 80’s music.
6.5/10

2012

2012
Year: 2009
Director: Roland Emmerich
Cast: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Woody Harrelson, Oliver Platt

In My Own Words
When “2012” was announced, I groaned. Another world disaster movie. It doesn’t seem to be something Hollywood tires of very easily, or at all. The heroes, the villains, the special effects, the demolition of large cities….all pre-requisites for disaster movies. Today was the only day I could have gone and seen the movie as it requires a full three hours of your time, a reason many people will probably not go and see it. I caught the early session so it didn’t take up too much of my day off.

I was hoping this movie may pleasantly surprise me as I am a John Cusack fan. It wasn’t the worst movie ever, but when it comes down to it, wasn’t original at all. That will never score many points with movie-goers. As I said, wasn’t to worst movie that I’ve seen this year, it did have some good points, but its length and unoriginality do not make it a masterpiece by any means.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
The well known premonition of the world ending is the basis and just another reason to make the newest disaster movie “2012”. The film itself is like a tsunami, volcano, flood, and earthquake film rolled into one, with the 2 and a half hours to carry each one. There are some good points about this movie, but it is really what is to be expected from a film such as this. However, it is entertaining and is definitely worth seeing the film in the cinema for its special effects.

The movie begins in 2009 and shows how the world is preparing for the end of the world as we know it in 2012. However, the end is closer than people think, as discovered by Adrian Helmsley ( Chiwetel Ejiofor) , who alerts the American government. The protagonist of the story is California writer, Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) who has taken his two children to Yellowstone National Park, where they stumble upon a top secret government “hot spot” and he finds out about the 2012 conspiracy. He, his children and ex-wife (Amanda Peet) survive the demolition of his hometown by many close calls to try and join in the survival of the human race. As expected, the film contains loads of special effects, some which seem more realistic than others. This may have something to do with the unrealistic scenes in which the unrealistic special effects occur in. There are several times in the movie that the lead characters have near misses. One can believe one or two near misses to keep the suspense, but too many can lead to the audience rolling their eyes and sarcastically thinking “Wow, I did NOT see that one coming”. It is almost exhausting how many things happen in the film and how long the film is doesn’t make tit any better.

However, the acting in “2012” is really not too bad. Cusack gives a good performance, as does Ejiofor and Morgan Lily, who plays Lilly Curtis, gives a great performance at such a young age. Roland Emmerich’s direction and script is also commendable. There is great character development with the main characters and the audience does indeed connect with them. The role of Carl Anheuser, as played by Oliver Platt, is particularly unlikable and well played for this reason. It is proof that the characters are really forming a relationship with the audience when one feels such dislike towards one of them.

The film does have some good points, as pointed out, but its lack of original content does let it down.

5/10