Latino Lover

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 .

Once apon a time, there was this latin boy who wanted to be a star. He went to Hollywood where he quickly found out that every waiter in town wants to be one to. He turns to the oldest profession ever written (in what we in California call selling "Star Maps") & he gets an instant lesson on life. The ever-so sexy & hot Douglas Spain plays this character better than anyone as he parades through the hills trying to get what he wants...this film isn't for everyone, but, if you are willing to sacrifice TALENT over STORY, then please see one of Hollywoods hottest upcoming actors (Spain) in his best role yet. 1-10 (10) Z.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Star Maps." I found it to be a very unique and original film that was totally unpredictable, something which you don't see too often in today's films (I'm still trying to figure out what was up with Carlos' brother). I think anyone who has ever dreamed of coming to Hollywood to become a movie star or who has a crazy family they want to get away from, will relate to the character of Carlos and what he is striving for. Good acting from all.

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.

"Star Maps" is a unusual for a Hollywood film. It is quite literate and does not follow the conventional Hollywood film structure. In fact, it views like a film version of a literary novella. This is probably it's weakness and it's strength. I am being very vague because I do not like to step on anyone's enjoyment of film by inadvertently spilling the beans. Just take my word for it that "Star Maps" is a literate movie with very talented Hispanic actors and actresses.

"Star Maps" is the bittersweet journey of a Mexican hustler who wants to be a famous actor but finds that goal challenged by his extremely dysfunctional family. This movie is a great Hollywood coming-of-age story in the vein of "Where The Day Takes You" and "Eddie Presley". Definitely worth a look!