Review of Entourage (2015) by Nima S — 25 Jun 2015

Entourage was a popular TV series that ran for eight seasons from 2004 to 2011. The show was always known to the public as HBO's male counterpart to Sex and the City, with the story centering around a group of male friends living large in a satirical Hollywood lifestyle. And just like the Sex and the City movies, this first (and hopefully last) Entourage movie is atrocious and unwatchable. The show and now the movie simply exist to celebrate wealth and fame and we are expected to care about a group of sexist, entitled, obnoxious pigs who are supposed to be the heroes. The premise could have worked with a sharper satirical edge and funnier moments, but unfortunately it never did. Now with the release of the movie - which serves as a longer episode - we get to spend even more time with these unlikable creeps.

Movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) has annulled his marriage after nine days. His former agent Ari (Jeremy Piven) is pulling the plug on his Italian retirement and eagerly returning to Los Angeles to become a studio chief. Ari has a project that he thinks would be perfect for Vinnie, who counter-offers that in addition to starring, he wants to direct. Several months later, Vinny and his producer and best friend, E (Kevin Connolly), have gone over budget and are going back to Ari for more postproduction money. Ari has to go begging to studio backer and Texas billionaire Larsen McCredle (Billy Bob Thornton) for cash. Larsen agrees only if his son Travis (Haley Joel Osment) can accompany Ari back to Hollywood to learn more about the picture business.

The film looks flashy and colourful and just like the show, has a nicely done opening title sequence but unfortunately that's all there is to say about the positives. Just like the show, Vinnie stays reactive throughout the movie. We never find a reason to care about him and to help us understand why he's so successful, his buddies keep saying how great he is and how everything he touches turns to gold. The story is convoluted and messy with the narrative going absolutely nowhere. Ari seems to be the only character to move the so-called "plot" along with his mental breakdowns and literally asking others to do what they are supposed to do. Jeremy Piven gives the only noticeable performance and creates the film's one or two funny scenes. Most of the film is a collection of bits that take a couple of minutes and have nothing to do with the next scene. Our heroes are simply horrible over-privileged people who not only don't pay the consequences of their actions, but at the end of the day, everything works out for them and they get back to being the jerks they are.

Watching the film feels like meeting a group of people you've known for years who haven't grown up at all and seem to be stuck in a world of their own. There are unbelievably homophobic and sexist scenes here and there that made me wonder if the filmmakers know that the world has changed in the recent years and this shallow and laddish humor will not work by today's standards. Female characters are simply objects to be desired by men just like the numerous expensive cars and houses seen in every single sequence. Even with all that, the film still could have been entertaining to watch if it was funny but it isn't. Most of the jokes fall flat and the short 104-minute long running time feels like an eternity! Die-hard fans of the show will probably enjoy this but everyone else should avoid this ill-judged and simple-minded misfire.