Searing expose of Tinseltown

MAPS to the Stars is a stinging satirical rebuke to the excesses of Hollywood, as seen through the eyes of a director who has made a career out of rejecting the mainstream. David Cronenberg is no stranger to controversial subject matter (Naked Lunch, 1991) and even though his more recent movies (A History of Violence, 2005; Eastern Promises, 2007) have a broader appeal, no one will ever accuse him of pandering to the masses.

We always suspected that Hollywood insiders live in a world of their own, but Maps to the Stars takes that concept to depraved new heights (or depths, depending on your point of view). While it recalls a roster of well-known films about tortured souls in an industry that punishes any kind of weakness (Sunset Boulevard, The Player), Maps has a vicious…