It’s not inaccurate to describe “Maps to the Stars” as a departure from the typical work of David Cronenberg, save for the fact that there’s rarely been anything in his oeuvre befitting the word typical. Known primarily for his body-horror films of the 80s, such as “Videodrome” and the remake of “The Fly,” the Canadian filmmaker’s work over the last decade has seen him transition into more outwardly philosophical, even metaphysical material, exploring themes of identity and sanity with punishing artistry.
To say that Cronenberg’s films aren’t for everyone is a gross understatement, and I love them dearly for their refusal to cater to the tastes of anyone but their maker – even to the extent that one of his early horror films saw him evicted from his apartment based on a morality clause. “Maps to the Stars” is, unsurprisingly, a bit of a head-scratcher at first glance, and one I cannot wait to revisit. Telling the downfall of aspiring Hollywood elites caught in a web of deceit and dark history largely beyond their grasp, it pitches its tale of dreams, greed and incest somewhere between soap opera and satire. These sad people seem like the living dead, and that’s even before the ghosts show up.
The sense of bewilderment the film establishes early on is key in what essentially amounts to a traditional melodrama about the bizarre and the terrible in our entertainment industry, the comedic undertones of which are amplified by their hardly being acknowledged at all. From it’s depiction of child star drug addicts to celebrities capitalizing on each other’s misery in the worst possible ways to the network of people that enable all of the above, “Maps to the Stars” plays like an industry expose in which the dirty laundry being aired has only been slightly exaggerated – if even.
Cronenberg’s regular cinematographer, Peter Suschitzky, has always been able to conjure up the most alien of sensibilities with even the most seemingly “normal” of scenery, and his vision of this Los Angeles is a quietly compelling one. The cast, from Julianne Moore to John Cusack to Robert Pattinson, plays altogether against type, and the result is the sense of a perpetually about-to-happen earthquake. Which, when you think of it, sounds as accurate as one can be in describing a metropolis built on one of the most geologically unstable regions on the planet.
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” seems to exist completely outside the world presented in Cronenberg’s flick, and for all intents and purposes, it is, being the potentially last film from the financially struggling animation house Studio Ghibli. Based on the folktale “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” it tells the story of a girl born from the stalk of a bamboo shoot, and her adopted father’s misguided efforts to give her the life of a princess – along with all the rigorous formalities that accompany status as royalty.
Much like the recent “Ernest & Celestine,” this lovingly rendered film utilizes a minimalist visual palate, combining both sketch and watercolor styles, and together these resources suggest a wholly formed world in which these character live like flesh and blood. This simplicity better allows for the juxtaposition of the rural life in which the princess’ happier, formative years against the oppression legitimized through the tradition of the elite classes. Subtly expressive, the images have a killing quality, only to then all but jump off the screen.
“Princess Kaguya” is not a typical family-friendly animated feature, given its lack of set pieces, polish, and frank depiction of child rearing, but I expect discriminating families will take to it, much like they have to past Ghibli efforts like “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Spirited Away,” and “Grave of the Fireflies,” some of the finest films ever made, animated or not. This parable seems to say, above all, that it is possible to hurt those you love, even while trying to help them. I know I’ll want my own children to see it some day.
“Maps to the Stars” is currently playing in select theaters nationwide, and can be viewed OnDemand and through various streaming services.
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” is currently available OnDemand.
Robert Humanick is a contributing writer for slantmagazine.com. Follow Rob on Twitter @rhumanick