Double Bill Mini Musings: Star Maps and Stolen Art...

Maps To The Stars:
What's it about?
A teeth-gnashing satire of Hollywood and its rich, successful, and damaged inhabitants from David Cronenberg with a script from Bruce Wagner. The lives of various Tinsel Town oddities - from an ageing actress desperately trying to secure the lead role in a remake of her famous (and dead) mother's iconic film, to a limo-driving screenwriter wannabe - intersect in what becomes a spiralling tale of madness.
Who would I recognise in it?
Julianne Moore, John Cusack, Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson, Olivia Williams, and more.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
A return to form from David Cronenberg after the frustratingly obtuse Cosmopolis that took itself far too seriously while lacking any warmth or access for a generally bewildered audience. It takes about ten to twenty minutes to settle into the rhythm, but Wagner's script gleefully piles increasingly bizarre and jaw dropping events on top of one another. Just when you thought it couldn't get weirder and more messed up - it does. Top performances all round, but particular kudos to Julianne Moore who goes all-out towards crafting a multi-dimensional and hopelessly damaged person who attracts the audience's sympathy and vitriol in equal measure. There's one decidedly dodgy moment of CGI that sticks out like a big old sore thumb, but apart from that it's a superb venture into Hollyweird ... although certainly not to everyone's tastes. Great.

Click "READ MORE" below for Kurt Russell in a crime caper...

The Art Of The Steal:
What's it about?
A motorcycle stunt rider and art thief, not long out of a hellish stint in a Polish prison, gets the gang back together for a new heist that isn't all that it initially seems.
Who would I recognise in it?
Kurt Russell, Jay Baruchel, Terence Stamp, Kenneth Welsh, Matt Dillon, Chris Diamantopoulos, Jason Jones.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
Things seem fairly straight forward at first, but as the film progresses it becomes clear that there's something far more complicated going on. Taking a little bit of influence from the Ocean's 11 trilogy in terms of style and verve, The Art of The Steal turns out to be a surprisingly enjoyable flick - plus it stars Kurt Russell, so you know you're in for a good time. A twisty crime caper set in the snowy lands of Canada with plenty of wit and visual panache to more than fill the slick 90 minute running time - a little hidden gem that's well worth giving a spin. Good.