Hurlyburly

Cast: Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright Penn, Chazz Palminteri, Garry Shandling and Meg Ryan.
Genre: Drama
Rated: MA15+

Hurlyburly is potent, fast-paced entertainment, where the money-and-fame-hungry vie for success and dominance. Eddie (Sean Penn Mystic River) lives the clichéd Hollywood dream: a high-flying-strung casting director, he shares an up market apartment in the Hollywood Hills with his business partner, the conceited, charismatic Mickey (Kevin Spacey American Beauty) who is "taking a break" from his wife and kids. Surrounded by the colliding worlds of the rich and famous and inspirational social climbers, they indulge in a toxic lifestyle of wild parties, sex, cocaine and self-promotion.

Stumbling into the mix are writer/producer Artie (Garry Handling The Larry Sanders Show), aggressive, would-be-actor Phil (Chazz Palminteri The Usual Suspects), Eddie's lover, the cool, attractive and two-timing Darlene (Robin Wright Penn Forrest Gump) and Bonnie (Meg Ryan You've Got Mail) a sweet-natured exotic dancer who finds herself the unfortunate butt of Phil's violent outbursts.

While Eddie's predilection for drink and drugs somewhat masks his shallow existence, little by little his world comes undone fuelling an ever more desperate search for sensation. Penn and Spacey paint an eerily convincing picture of Hollywood's boy's club, its macho camaraderie and the all pervasive quest for power and recognition.

"A triumph! The most brilliant ensemble acting of any film this year" The New York Times

Price: $14.95