Movie review: ‘Entourage’ (2015)

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Here’s how you add it up: I enjoy a big-cast film; “Entourage” has a big cast. I enjoy cameos; “Entourage” has more cameos than you can count. Finally, I enjoy good movies that are well-made. “Entourage” certainly qualifies for that, even though it has a host of young(er) stars and doesn’t at first appear to be one that I’d like it at all. Add all that up and you got a real winner! I never saw any of the HBO show episodes of the same-titled show on which the film is based. For the show, there are 96 of ’em from its run from 2004-2011 and despite not seeing a single one, I’m a big fan of one of its stars (Jeremy Piven) and if the TV show was half as good as the film, I’ll have pull up a chair and binge-watch the series.

‘Entourage’
(2015; 104 minutes; rated R; directed by Doug Ellin and starring Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier and Jeremy Piven)

A STAR AND HIS HOMEBOYS GET THEIR MOVIE

(NOTE: I re-edited this review and updated a few links on July 17, 2018. I expanded the review with additional trivia and opinion and updated links on Jan. 11, 2022.)

HBO’s “Entourage” serial comedy-drama got tons of great press, positive reviews from critics and was the talk of the entertainment world a decade or so back. When it came time to revive it as a film in the manner of HBO’s own “Sex and the City,” “Entourage” the movie held up well and is really a fun motion picture to watch.

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I can’t say it’s any better or worse than the TV show (I didn’t watch it on HBO), but the serial version would have had to have been great just to match the movie. I like “Entourage” as a film because it has interesting dialogue, interesting characters and at least a semblance of a Hollywood plot to go along with its amazing list of cameos (a hallmark of the TV show, too). The film cruises along with aplomb and it’s just fun to watch.

Sure, there’s a bunch of gratuitous nudity, but not an over-the-top amount; sure, there are some profane scenes (especially with Kevin Dillon’s self-love in one), but not too many; and sure, there are a bunch of young stars the older set won’t appreciate, but it doesn’t matter since it’s all done so well that anyone can and should appreciate it.

It’s simple to explain the film: You have a big movie star who is directing his first film; his former agent who is now head of the movie studio; and the star’s entourage of homeboy friends who make his life well worth living and living well with him. Toss in a truly well-done subplot about the star’s brother’s insecurity and possible expulsion from the film being made by the star plus huge supporting efforts by Billy Bob Thornton and Haley Joel Osment, and you’ve got a winner.

Again, since I didn’t see the TV show, I can’t compare how much more you might enjoy the movie if you know all the back stories. In any case, here’s my look at the expansive principal cast. First up comes “the guys:”

  • The ostensible headliner who’s not the focus of the film is Golden Globe nominee (not for this movie but the TV show) is Kevin Connolly playing “Eric Murphy.” He’s the former pizza shop manager-turned-movie star manager and film producer. Although he’s listed first, Connolly is merely solid in this one and didn’t manage to elevate his character. I like his work in it, though, since he fits in so well and manages to keep up with Jeremy Piven. Never close; but keeps up. Connolly’s also been in “The Notebook” and “He’s Just Not That Into You.”
  • The real headliner is Adrien Grenier playing huge movie star “Vincent Chase.” Grenier leads his entourage around life and Hollywood with an easygoing charm that looks so simple to accomplish on film but certainly is not. Yet, as good as he is, Grenier, while knowing how to do smooth and cool, that’s just about all you’ll find for his character. He could have done so much more. Grenier has also been in “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Drive Me Crazy.”
  • Actually, the guy at the top of the acting heap with Thornton here is Golden Globe winner (for the TV version) Jeremy Piven as “Ari Gold.” He does a pitch-perfect job of playing the manic studio head who is always right. Piven knows his craft and you won’t be disappointed in this turn. He earned his Globe and three Primetime Emmys for the TV version of “Entourage.” He also garnered five and one nominations, too, respectively. I liked Piven in a much smaller role in “Grosse Pointe Blank” (click here for my review) and “The Family Man” (click here for my review). He was also in the hyper-violent “Smokin’ Aces.”
  • I have to say that “Entourage” has the perfect spot for Kevin Dillon as “Johnny ‘Drama’ Chase.” The subplot that he is only in any production is because he’s the brother of a star. It rings true since Dillon doesn’t have much talent and he’s the brother of star (former star?) Matt “Flamingo Kid” Dillon. However, even though I’ve criticized him, Dillon is very watchable in all his scenes in “Entourage” and I wasn’t disappointed any time I saw him. I can’t say the same for some actors who have more talent but do not always use it. Since he’s playing a homeboy schmo, Dillon’s very effective and you’d like to hang out with him, too. I like this guy’s work here despite him appearing that he only got any work in Hollywood because of Matt. Dillon is another one who I’ve never noticed in a film before, but he’s been in work as varied as films such as “The Doors” and “Platoon” or TV such as “Blue Bloods” and “That’s Life.”
  • Somewhat lost in all this despite good screen time is Jerry Ferrara as “Salvatore ‘Turtle’ Assante.” His part of “Entourage” appears to be almost an afterthought since there’s little creativity with it. Assante isn’t bad, mind you, but he doesn’t do much at all, if anything with “Turtle.” Assante was in “Last Vegas” and “Battleship.”

As to the supporting cast’s work, it really boils down to great work by these two:

  • An Oscar winner and two-time nominee (not for this one), Thornton is the actor’s actor in this one and edges out Piven as being the most talented and conveying it through his character. Thornton plays “Larsen McCredle,” who is co-financing the film. He does sharp, precise work in his scenes and I’d have loved to see him in a bunch more. Of course, Thornton is best-known for his Oscar-winning “Sling Blade” and I also liked him in “Primary Colors,” the underrated “Pushing Tin” and the “Bad News Bears” reboot (click here for my review). He won for writing in “Sling Blade” and was nominated as best actor. His other nomination was for “A Simple Plan.”
  • An Oscar nominee (not for this one), Osment is truly far from moping around with Bruce Willis while watching dead people in “The Sixth Sense.” In fact, he’s a Texan … basically a character created by someone on acid. Sorry, Texas, that you were chosen to be the butt of this particular joke. Osment conveys his buffoonish character “Travis McCreadle” to a grinding perfection and you begin to cringe when you realize he’s going to be in a scene. Good work as Thornton’s son in this one, as if he sought my opinion. Other than “The Sixth Sense” for which he got Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, I haven’t seen any of Osment’s films (or at least realized he was in one). The only one that appears even remotely interesting is “Secondhand Lions” with Michael Caine and Robert Duvall.

I’d like to put the spotlight on women in “Entourage” (outside of my derision you’ll read in a moment about Ronda Rousey), but absolutely none manage to make any kind of mark in the film. I don’t have anything to say critical of Emmanuelle Chriqui, Perrey Reeves and Debi Mazar and I like watching them. But, I don’t know if this was such a buddy flick that they just didn’t have the opportunity with the character or that they weren’t able to elevate their work here. Ah, well, on to the cameos …

As for the cameos, they’re like jokes in an Abrahams-Zucker comedy. Blink and you’ll miss a couple. There are simply so many stars you see from a glance to more than a few seconds on screen that you can’t keep up with them all – and it took a double-take to recognize Andrew Dice Clay. Click here for a link to the Wiki page that outlines all of them. There isn’t any single cameo as great as the one Bill Murray does in “Zombieland” (click here for my review), but then again you don’t need a tent-pole cameo when you’ve got nearly 50 others flashing past at the speed of stars.

The only criticisms I hold for “Entourage” is the supporting actor and ultimate fighter Rousey who plays herself as well as the scene where Piven goes to couples counseling.

As for Rousey, she is target of affection by “Turtle,” but Ronda simply can’t act (or couldn’t ultimately fight for that matter J ) and she is nothing more than just a distraction in and a drag on the film. However, if you cut her out of the flick, then you pretty much cut “Turtle’s” existence out, too. The filmmakers sure missed out on an opportunity to showcase someone else by putting Rousey in the film. Sigh.

As for the counseling scene, it is the usual politically-correct claptrap of stupidity that such “counseling” offers on the big screen. Of course, the PC crowd wants everyone in counseling and I guess Hollywood has the need for everyone to be in it. However, it would have been nice not to see this stupidity in this film. It’s in too many others and a break would be nice – as well as intelligent. Sigh.

Ah well, I never said “Entourage” exemplifies cinematic perfection. It’s certainly doesn’t come anywhere close to “The Godfather.” Hmmm. Unfair. Very few films ever released come anywhere near the perfection of “The Godfather.”

Wrapping it up, I have to write that, frankly, I’ve never seen Grenier in anything else and I’m not really anxiously awaiting his next, but that’s why I immediately came to like “Entourage.” It is just such good work by all involved that you don’t have to be a major fan of any of the stars to embrace it as wonderful cinema (even watching Dillon pleasuring himself, which in and of itself is the roughest ride in the flick). Heck, you didn’t even have to know anything about their past work.

Oh, I almost forgot: Mark Wahlberg is obviously a key player as “Entourage” is supposedly based on his life. He’s not only in it, he’s one of three listed producers (and two co-producers, four associate producers and one executive producer join him in the executive credits). Unfortunately he overplays himself each time he’s on screen. He’s not as bad as Rousey, but he should rethink wedging himself into another “Entourage” film.

“Entourage” wasn’t a winner with either critics or moviegoers. It was the 80th ranked film of 2015 with $32.3 million, according to Box Office Mojo. It was made on a budget of $30+ million and has made a paltry $49.3 million worldwide, according to Wiki. The No. 1 film of the year was of course “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” which neared a billion-dollar domestic box with a staggering $936.6 million, while “Jurassic World” came in No. 2 with a muscular $652.2 million, but still ran a simply amazing $284.4 million behind the sci-fi giant. Here are the films from 2015 that I’ve reviewed for my blog:

Assorted cast and film notes (via IMDb.com):

  • From the stinkbomb front, both Ed O’Neill and Andrew Dice Clay appear here – and they were together in the rancid “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane” (click here for my denunciation of that film).
  • “Entourage” the movie begins where the HBO series ended – with Piven in Italy. One of the other many references between the two productions include a comment from Dillon in the first HBO season about Grenier’s marriage lasting nine days.
  • There has been talk of a sequel, but with the money not so good coming in for “Entourage,” I’d say it’s doubtful there will be an “Entourage 2.” A bunch of stories you can find via the Internet say either there will be or won’t be a No. 2. So, take your pick with whom you believe.
  • Directly from IMDb.com: “In the movie, Ari Gold refers to Travis McCredle as ‘Forrest Gump, Jr.’ Haley Joel Osment, who plays Travis, played Forrest Gump, Jr. in Forrest Gump (1994).”
  • Kelsey Grammer’s cameo reveals the name of Piven’s wife in “Entourage” In the TV show and until Grammer’s cameo, she was just “Mrs. Ari.” Her character’s first name is “Melissa.”
  • Finally and directly from IMDb.com: “The song “Eminence Front” that appears in the premier of Vince’s movie, appeared also in the premier of his first movie, in the first episode of the television show.” My note: Too bad the writer of this blub is too stupid to know the difference between “premier” and “premiere.” Also, it shows no one cares to update the entry on IMDb.com.

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