Star Maps

"Star Maps" appears to be a sincere dramatic product which simply spreads itself too thin. The film attempts to focus on the problems, unusual in both quantity and character, which beset a Mexican family in Los Angeles. However, it spreads itself to thin, lacks purpose, plays out uneven, is occasionally hard to swallow, and when it runs out of time it just quits. Overall the film has its moments but they're too few and too far between. A somewhat gritty drama with strong sexual content, "Star Maps" just doesn't measure up. Most likely to be appreciated by indie lovers and Mex-Am audiences. (C-)

Odd, brave, if not completely successful drama.

A Mexican father in Los Angeles forces his son, who wants to be an actor, into prostitution.

The story details his misadventures in Hollywood in both the sexual and movie making arenas, as well as the completely dysfunctional family that surrounds him.

Much like Arteta's later films, there's a surreal humor under it all, and a genuine weirdness at how matter of fact its all treated. Good use of music as well.

The acting could have been better, which would have elevated it considerably. But it still is a unique, and strangely entertaining look at a warped and dysfunctional world.

I saw this movie and really liked it! The acting was excellent and the characters were very well developed. Even the smaller parts were notable, especially the part of the Bel Aire Man played by Bill Gordon. I recommend this movie to all art movie fans.

I went into this movie only knowing via the IMDb that this was a " comedy drama " featuring a protagonist called Carlos who dreams of being an actor . This is something many people registered over at the IMDb can relate too , we all dream of being stars in Hollywood , not necessarily movie stars ( It's screen writing with me chaps ) but obviously we want to make a success of our lives . So I sat down on the sofa with a cup of tea to watch this comedy drama

Teenager Carlos lives with his stepfather Pepe and sick mother along with his brother and sister . Luckily Pepe is well connected in Hollywood and can get Carlos " work " which beats selling Star Maps on street corners . Oh hold on this " work " involves Carlos stripping naked and letting men do sexual things to Carlos . OMFG you mean Pepe is pimping his stepson ! Who's the idiot who wrote off to the IMDb saying that this was a comedy drama ?

Let me warn everybody coming to this entry that STAR MAPS is a bleak , depressing , nihilistic movie where the audience never feel like smiling once . It's very much like a Larry Clark movie containing unlikable characters and rather explicit sex There's a scene where Maria ( Carlos sister )invites her boyfriend round for dinner and as soon as he sat down at the table I had to switch over because you soon cotton onto the fact that if someone is about to experience anything resembling happiness someone else is going to enter the scene and take it away from them as sure as night follows day

This is something of a backhanded compliment to writer/director Miguel Arteta because you genuinely care for the characters in the movie , you feel great sympathy for some of them but because the majority are shown as freaks , pimps and whores it becomes very difficult and despite being very involving it's far from entertaining due to the subject matter .

This movie wants to be great. It's got a really fresh, original script. Sometimes the directing is just as fresh and original. But every time you think it's going to immerse you, it turns into a TV movie. The "look" of the movie often (but not always) screams TV and not film. The acting is usually "art house" good. But

then some scene is so poorly acted you have to wonder why the director didn't make another take. The pacing is rushed and then not. It's like two different directors worked on two films from the same script and some inexperienced

editor had to make it into one movie.

The sex scenes are quite hot, but then the pacing is clipped. It plays like a very late-night TV movie where they want to include sex, but they don't want it to be quite soft-porn, so they pan or edit it more tightly.

The movie is worth seeing, if nothing else for the great original story and

"moments" where it achieves filmness. In between you just have to sit through some scenes and wonder if the director or the art director went on break and the rest of the crew started shooting without them.

The music is often excellent, but also inconsistently tossed in without creating any overall synthesis or mood. Sometimes music can bring together a disjointed film. Here it's another missed opportunity.

Annette Murphy is a stand-out as "a whore and your father's girlfriend." Douglas Spain is so beautiful in this that he smolders -- completely convincing as a

young prostitute. Lysa Flores (who was also the musical director) is one of the actors that makes the movie not suck -- terrific! Kandeyce Jorden is distractingly beautiful as a Cindy Crawford look-alike. Unfortunately she's miscast. Her

monotone voice, while alluring, doesn't fit the style of the film. It comes off as bored or disinterested, which doesn't match her character's motivation. Her sex scenes are very nice, however. Kandeyce Jorden has since been writing and

directing short films. You can see Undone and Layover on the web at iFilm.com and Skyy.com.

Director/writer Miguel Arteta has directed and written "The Good Girl" since this. You can see some similarity in style and in flaws. I think Mr. Arteta needs to work with a mentor to achieve his potential. It's obviously there, it's just unrealized.

This is a sexy and interesting film. It's well worth seeing, even for the flaws.