JOIN USEntourage
English U(A), Director: Doug Ellin
Cast: Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara
The quartet is back. Months have passed, but little has changed. There are expensive yachts with enough alcohol and women for them to indulge in unapologetic debauchery. They own cars that have been polished enough to simulate a mirror. They can throw a party with gay abandon. They’re still impulsive, living on the edge and yet, so optimistic.
Compounded money and irrational thoughts have left a trail of a nine-day-long marriage, some weight loss, a broken relationship and delusions of grandeur. This is what probably prompted Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) to direct his own movie, Hyde, that is also his former agent Ari Gold’s (Jeremy Piven) first studio production. Ari, who returns from retirement, has lost much of his temper (couple’s therapy, anger meds), gaining an almost avuncular maturity. His tongue which could humble a thistle otherwise, seems to have exercised much control here. Bummer for Entourage devotees, as he is the only one who rises above everyone else and stands tall as the end credits roll.
This Entourage has undergone some sort of epiphanies during its hiatus and is trying to project gravity amid supposed melancholy and effete lives, while it attempts to scale up the small screen version. But it only comes off as a null set, coinciding neither with preachy nor with fun.
Eric’s (Connolly) relationship with Sloan seems as bizarre as Drama’s (Dillon) refusal or his facade of denial, rather, to grow up. And Turtle’s metamorphosis into the sensible, silent type leaves so much unexplained. Even if one were to overlook some obvious flaws and lack of coherence like these, it still gives the impression that Ellin wanted to wipe the slate clean and tell us a different story.
What he could have also done was taken a stand on the premise and decided whether this was going to be the comet tail of the series or a fresh meteor that could pack a punch before it landed. If what was intended was a satirical portrayal of the Hollywood life and all the things money can buy (and ruin), it certainly hasn’t hit the point. It feels more like a big family reunion with Shauna, Dana Gordon, Lloyd — all coming together, making us remember older times, where it appeared almost like everyone’s insolence was glorified.
Even the cameos by the numerous stars do little to add colour to the abbreviated narrative. A bit of a damp squib, this will register some contentment only among true fans. As Ari says in the movie, the charm probably lies in the loyalty the boys have for each other. Spot the charm if you can.