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Entourage

7/10

Stars: Jeremy Piven, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Billy Bob Thornton, Haley Joel Osment, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Perrey Reeves, Debi Mazar, Ronda Rousey, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Landau, Jessica Alba

Director: Doug Ellin

A lads' mag of a movie (based on a hit TV series), but one whose characters prove quite infectious in spite of a relentless stream of bad language. It's dominated, though, by a barnstorming performance from Piven (Mr Selfridge) as the hard-cursing agent/producer who persuades Texas billionaire McCredle (Thornton) to invest $100 million in Hyde, a Gothic extravaganza starring pretty boy Vincent Chase (Grenier), who's also making his directing debut.

Chase's pals E (Connolly and Turtle (Ferrara) are on board as producers, while Vincent's out-of-work acting brother Drama (Dillon) lands a key supporting role.

As the lads party hard with a series of bikini'd and topless beauties, two of whom E beds in one day while his pregnant estranged wife awaits their first child, the movie goes over budget, and Piven is forced to go cap in hand to Thornton. who sends his idiot son Travis (former child star Osment) to see if the additional bankroll is worth it.

Full of the expected sex jokes - 'one vagina closes just as another opens' - and Jewish cracks from Piven, the film is even more packed with star cameos, notably from Liam Neeson, who fiercely gives Piven the finger as their cars stop at lights. 'Hey Schindler,' yells Piven as Neeson roars off, 'leave no Jew behind'.

The contrasting characters of the fearsome foursome are quite well drawn, as well they might be with seven series of television behind them, and the plot serviceable enough.

David Quinlan

USA 2015. UK Distributor: Warner Brothers. Colour by CO3/Prints by Fotokem.
105 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 2, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 3.

Review date: 14 Jun 2015