Maps to the Stars

First Hit:  I’m sure I’ll be in the minority on this – and I liked this film. It was quirky, yet insightful in the David Cronenberg style.

Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore) is a fading from view movie star who is trying to get the part of her famous deceased movie star mother in an upcoming film. She really wants the part.

The film shows her desperation of want and her pretending to not be attached to getting the role. Agatha Weiss (Mia Wasikowska) is an intelligent, scarred and somewhat twisted girl. We see her abnormal behavior unfold as the film evolves. She becomes Havana's assistant and has an edge that keeps the audience on wondering. Dr. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a Hollywood based spiritual and physical energy therapist to the stars.

His wife Christina (Olivia Williams) and he are driving their son Benjie (Evan Bird) to be an ego filled young actor. There is a controlling power in their house and when Agatha shows up again, all hell breaks loose. Keeping Agatha’s attention was limo driver Jerome Fontana (Robert Pattinson), until her real wish is known.

The fun part of this film is the moving from one type of ego expression to another and in Hollywood it all stands out strong.

Moore is great as the fading star who wants to stay in the limelight. Wasikowska is fantastic as the strangely possessed young woman. Cusack is perfect as the ego driven guru believing his own self-awareness. Williams is great as the mother/wife walking a tightrope. Bird as the ego possessed young man who is getting more than he deserves is very good – believable. Pattinson is really good as the limo driver who pretends non-interest and then interest in Agatha. Bruce Wagner wrote and interesting, complex screenplay that, for me, worked. Cronenberg definitely had his vision and although it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, for me it worked well.

Overall:  I found this film interesting and fun to watch these characters go through their ego struggles.

A Dangerous Method

First Hit:  I liked the concept but this was a very uneven film.

Sabrina Spielrein (played by Keira Knightley) was a disturbed patient of Carl Jung (played by Michael Fassbender) and ended up being a psychologist and lover of Jung.

She was one of the first to be treated by Jung using the talking method (psychoanalysis). Unfortunately, Knightley’s rendition of Spielrein seemed totally out of place, overly acted, and poorly executed. From the jutting chin, distorted hand positions and the occasional half hearted attempt at a Russian accent, her part was mostly unwatchable.

For this I fault both director David Cronenberg and Knightley. The interaction between Freud (played by Viggo Mortensen) and Jung was somewhat better and as one who studied a lot of psychology and did work in this field I would have like a deeper engagement of each of their theories and the differences between them.

However this film floated along like a rudderless boat. In the end I didn’t care about any of the characters nor did I think I learned much.

Knightley was mostly horrible. This is the worst role I’ve ever seen her in and wonder why she was directed this way. Fassbender was very controlled and reserved as I suppose the character was required to be, yet it took away from the depth of who he was playing. Mortensen was better at Freud than the others were in their characters. There was an arrogant solidness of his thought process that was palatable and interesting. However I would have like to have known more. Christopher Hampton and John Kerr wrote a lifeless script. Cronenberg did not do his best work here and it showed.

Overall: For such a rich subject, to have this fall this flat was really very sad.

Eastern Promises

First Hit: This is David Cronenberg film is very well made and kept me present, involved, and in suspense the whole time.

The History of Violence, David’s previous film, was well crafted and starred Viggo Mortensen as does this one.

I really enjoy films which focus on subcultures in large cities and how their indiscretions are hidden by false fronts. The Godfather films did this and Eastern Promises does this as well.

Naomi Watts plays a midwife who finds herself deeply attached to a baby whose 14 year old mother had died. She desperately wants to find the mother's family so that the baby will not get trapped in England’s foster child system.

In her search she stumbles on to the Russian mafia in London and discovers the father of the baby is the mafia’s leader. Viggo is “just the driver” but he is someone who is becoming entwined in the mafia for other reasons: Power, money, savior, glory or twist of fate…

Overall: This is a suspenseful thriller that will keep you entertained and watching and the end is well delivered.