Reno Rangan The title gives an impression of someone lost in somewhere and trying to find a way back home. I did not know what this film was about. I did not know who stars in it and when it released. But I decided to watch it at the last minute without checking out its synopsis and I ended up satisfied. Not fully pleased, but the refreshing story and its characters interested me.This is an unusual drama that takes place in a district where the Hollywood people are dominated. Our tale opens with a young woman arriving there and soon gets an opportunity to become a famous artist's personal assistant. The film also focuses others tales, so it is a multi layered story. But all of them are somewhere connected; particularly at the end. Revealing everyone's agenda behind their act is what brings the conclusion to the tale.Not neatly told story, yet different. I would say futuristic theme. I liked the performances. Robert Pattinson was not in a major role, but the other like Mia Wasikowska, Julianne Moore were good. Revolving around the bunch film celebrities means there's no real ones involved with the real names, just mentioned the names who were not in the film. Hard to predict the story, I was not sure until it revealed itself everything at the end. That part was a quite a shock, not I expected, but that's the real twist. Overall film was decent, slightly it missed to be a great. I feel it is worth a watch if you want something new in the story.6.5/10

brightsides I gave this film 3 stars for the earnestness of Julianne Moore and Mia Wasikowska, otherwise it was nothing short of an overwrought, self- indulgent mess. Maybe Hollywood insiders would find these characters intriguing, but for me I could not relate, nor care less about them and their family dramas. And I enjoyed several other Cronenberg films, just not this crap. Perhaps I'm being overly critical because I recently watched and thoroughly enjoyed the thought-provoking Clouds of Sils Maria with Juliette Binoche and Kristin Stewart. This film handled the subject of an actress having to come to grips with how age changes the game within the industry, particularly for women, with subtlety and finesse. Maps to the Stars hit you over the head with overacting, and everything-but-the-kitchen-sink situations including ghosts, threesomes, drug addictions, pyromania, etc, etc etc. Too much over-the-top craziness for my taste. And do I need to mention a completely ridiculous caricature performance from John Cusack? Ugggghhh, spare me.

nms1982 This is a twisted and quite dark movie and though in one scene I had a visual effects qualm it is well-executed and has a good cast. Julianne Moore in particular stands out, in a less common sort of a role for her: a pathetic, vacuous megabitch. A worst-of-the-worst past her prime movie star, who has sex with her emotionally unstable assistant's new boyfriend to momentarily feel better about herself and because she can. It is great to see her get her just desserts though shortly thereafter when said assistant (Mia Wasikowska) loses it. This film is a worthwhile and unique, no holds barred look at Hollywood scumbags/idiots. Mr. Cronenberg unsurprisingly is relevant and continuing to make solid pictures, in this case another disturbing one--which I was pleased about (my favorite of his movies are either disturbing, violent, or both; this is both, though mainly the former). Julianne Moore's character, the Benjie character, and others are quite hateable/reprehensible. You feel bad for Wasikowska's, in the milieu despite her not being soulless. This is the kind of film that, by the bleak end--which follows upon a not much less bleak beginning and middle--will leave the viewer likely feeling icky and depressed, and a bit worse about human beings, especially L.A.-based actors and other celebrities. It certainly has its place. I didn't feel there was anything gratuitous about the script. Cronenberg fans and cinephiles should give it a watch--maybe just one, ever--(even if only for Moore's performance) if they don't mind a serious downer.

dominickdesid This sick idiot Cronenberg is a thief, not a filmmaker. These criminal types of PR mindbenders promoting this crap should be serving a well deserved life term sentence in a Siberian gulag doing hard chain gang prison time for this complete obscenity! The film star swine implicated with this somehow non–government regulated movie non-industry, thus still legal mentacide versus human populations, simply sold their dignity and little souls for a fat pig's payday. We desperately need the censors of old back to protect us from such crimes cloaked as legitimate filmmaking entertainment! This present unashamed low life method of entertainment has ruined the minds and morals of this nation!