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 edge and cruel humour that few directors would dare bring to the table.

Cronenberg doesn't always succeed with his new movie, but he sure gets credit for trying. The story, written by Bruce Wagner, starts off in familiar territory before veering off into the unknown. In Cronenberg's book, weird is the new normal and just when you think the film has reached the limits of acceptable behaviour, it crashes through - and more than once.

Maps follows the misfortunes of a few people linked by the Hollywood Dream - some are already in the system, and others are trying to get in. Everyone's an actor in LA, even when they're not. A young girl Agatha (Mia Wasikowska) buses into town from another planet (okay Jupiter, Florida) and hires a limo driven by aspiring actor Jerome (Robert Pattinson) to bring her to an empty residential site in the Hollywood Hills.

It emerges that Agatha has roots in the house that used to be there - until she burned it down 10 years ago. As a result, her parents - self-help guru Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) and wife Cristina (Olivia Williams) - have a restraining order against her. Their meal ticket is 13-year-old son Benjie (Evan Bird), a child star with a foul mouth, a stint in drug rehab behind him and a licence to behave badly. They also harbor a deep family secret - and dysfunctional doesn't even begin to describe them.

Meanwhile, Agatha gets a job as an assistant to ageing actress Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore), who is trying to make a comeback and angling for the lead role in a movie about her mother Clarice (Sarah Gadon), a star from an earlier era. Clarice died many years ago in a fire, but she appears as a ghostly vision to Havana.

Violent death, incest and other unmentionables are constant themes that finally collide in the film's dark and distressing final act, which has a shock value that easily surpasses the crazy things that people in the real Hollywood do. In doing so, Maps to the Stars goes off the rails itself, though not before bringing a memorable performance to the big screen.

Moore's portrayal of a woman who is desperate for a return to the spotlight - and who will do anything to get there - is deserving of the Best Actress award she won at Cannes this year. More than 25 years ago, she played a porn star in Boogie Nights with the same sense of vulnerability. Maps to the Stars is a reminder - Cronenberg-style - that being a Hollywood celebrity sometimes comes with a price that is far too great.

Rating: B