Written by Adam Mast
ENTOURAGE (R)
First, a confession: I’ve never seen a single episode of the HBO series upon which this movie is based. Not a single episode. Why? No particular reason. I simply never got around to it. So given that I went into this picture blind, I’m giving you all an opinion that is solely based on the movie as a stand-alone effort. In short, this superficial tale of excess earns the right to be superficial because of its subject matter.
As “Entourage” opens, big time movie star Vincent Chase (Adrien Grenier) reaches out to movie producer Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) and tells him that he’ll take on a film project, but only if he’ll be permitted to direct it. Because hey, what all actors really want to do is direct, right? Ari somewhat reluctantly agrees. Shortly thereafter, Vince, star of James Cameron’s blockbuster juggernaut, “Aquaman,” sets out to bring a massive $100 million production called “Hyde” to fruition. As expected, Vince brings his entourage (played by Kevin Dillon, Kevin Connolly, and Jerry Ferrara) along for the ride.
Troubles arise when the spoiled Texan son (played by a hilarious Haley Joel Osment) of the film’s financier (played by the great Billy Bob Thornton) informs Gold that changes will have to be made in “Hyde” if it’s ever going to see the light of day.
“Entourage” is in the grand tradition of movies that are about the making of movies, but it has no interest in the subtlety or dark humor of something like Robert Altman’s exceptional “The Player.” “Entourage” is far looser and much more self-effacing, opting to unload a plethora of easily digestible inside movie jokes (one at the expense of Osment and Forrest Gump is an unforgettable classic) and an even larger collection of A-list cameos. I won’t reveal the cameos here, because they’re best left to discover during the course of the actual movie.
The ensemble is fine and offers up plenty of chemistry. Much of “Entourage” plays like a male version of “Sex and the City,” with the Hollywood movie world as a playground. Vince and his entourage are all front and center, and each is given his own little story thread and contention to deal with. But while the film is primarily about them, it’s an energized Jeremy Piven who steals the show as Ari Gold (no surprise there, as Piven was always a much-talked about presence on the HBO series.) Gold is a straight-shooter, a tell-it-like-it-is kind of a guy. He’s a high-strung family man, but he’s great at what he does, and that egotistical, dickish, douche bag exterior is really only a front for the surprisingly loyal individual who lies underneath the surface.
“Entourage” attempts to give audiences a look at a lavish world of excess (think “The Wolf of Wall Street” light, only in the moviemaking world instead of the stock market world), but the men who are living in this world act like a bunch of dudes you might see working at your local Wal-Mart. They’re just a group of buddies who grew up together in the neighborhood—but now, they make movies and bring in a ton of cash.
Doug Ellin’s “Entourage” has an energy about it that’s hard to resist, there’s no doubt about that. And while a few of the A-list cameos are a bit of a bust, most of them are quite inspired. The real problem with “Entourage” is that the proceedings are almost too loose, to the point that many moments in “Entourage” tend to be nearly impossible to buy into. Based on the tiny portion of “Hyde” we’re actually given a look at during this film, it doesn’t come across as the kind of movie you’d hear about come awards season. Furthermore, the final moments of “Entourage” are a little too conveniently pat. This is a fantasy, satire, and exploitation movie, though—a movie wherein characters are never entirely judged or truly punished for the selfish manner in which they lead their fairy-tale lives. And, in the end, that’s all by design.
“Entourage” has several entertaining moments (most of them supplied by Piven), but it’s equally uneven and scattershot. Still, it does make me want to go and take a look at the HBO series, and that’s saying something.
