Entourage *** (2015, Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Jeremy Piven) – Movie Review

The eight-season TV series Entourage (2004–2011) is resurrected as a movie, Spooks-style, courtesy its creator Doug Ellin as writer-director and Mark Wahlberg as producer.

Adrian Grenier returns as film star Vince Chase, who navigates the vapid terrain of Los Angeles with a close circle of friends Eric, Johnny and Turtle (Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara) and his trusty agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), now a studio boss.

Vince talks Ari into allowing his risky project of a new film, Hyde, to serve as his directorial debut. Soon, they’re way over budget, and a reluctant Ari has to go to Texas to beg for more money from financier McCredle (Billy Bob Thornton) and his sleazy, interfering son Travis (Haley Joel Osment).

There’s a ghastly sub-plot involving Ari’s assistant Lloyd (Rex Lee) having a big fat gay wedding. Maybe it’s meant to be well meaning, but we all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Putting all the film’s many rough edges to one side, this is a pretty entertaining, flavoursome Hollywood satire that captures the sleazy, self- and sex-obsessed, brainless atmosphere of the underside of Tinseltown effectively and amusing. The guys are a load of immature idiots, objectifying women, but the actors make them funny, even somehow quite appealing.

Dillon is especially amusing as the thick brother, and the now all-grown-up Osment does well in a tricky, unsympathetic part. Piven is good, but there’s a perhaps little bit too much of him as he becomes the main character, overbalancing the others.

The filming is slick and pacy, the writing pretty good. A lot of famous folk queue up to have cameos. Wahlberg even gives himself a couple. Producer power! It’s all pretty much in your face, with pervasive language, strong sexual content, nudity and some drug use.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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