Maps to the Stars

An old hand at the Cannes Film Festival, David Cronenberg is back with Maps to the Stars. Only he could present such a satire about Hollywood and have the audacity to walk the red carpet at its premiere!

A crazy girl becomes the personal assistant to a crazy has-been actress and tries to reconnect with her crazy actor brother and their crazy selfish parents – and we’re off on an incredible freakshow ride, wild, colourful and excessive from any point of view. Only the chauffeur seems to be average normal.

More than a critique of the Hollywood way of life, Maps to the Stars touches on the teenage fetish for celebrity, impostors and the imprisonment of social class. They all seem to be searching for a liberty (alluded to in the recurrent, deeply moving poem by Paul Eluard) that none of them can access, despite their best efforts, because all of them hide behind money, fame and make-up.

The ensemble cast is amazing, and Julianne Moore gives, once again, the performance of her life. Mia Wasikowska is delightful to watch as she distills her poisonous truth, while young Evan Bird’s blue eyes darken and darken until the end: “How many summers did I get? 13? Not so bad…” – as if 13 years of this kind of life were enough to tire of it.

With his well-orchestrated new movie, Cronenberg drops a hint at his take on Hollywood and the people who try to survive in it. Maps to the Stars encourages a reevaluation of the very notions off success, fame and happiness – and relief in the end of not living there.

 Liloïe Cazorla

The UK release date for Maps to the Stars is yet to be announced.

Read more reviews from Cannes Film Festival 2014 here.

For further information about the festival, visit the official website here.

Watch the trailer for Maps to the Stars here: