Entourage (TV Series) Entourage (2004) User Reviews

Some interesting characters and convincing performers, superficial universe but intriguing quest, a few funny scenes

[igoatabase · 7/10 · 29 June 2010]

I would hate to be Vincent Chase. It's what I thought after watching Entourage's pilot because when you're rich and famous trusting people is probably a nightmare. However Vince and his gang are long time friends so even if their stories weren't covered I suppose they met before his success. That's why I'm not so sure about the term entourage because they're not his retinue of followers. In fact their relationships are quite complex if you decide to scratch the show's comic surface.

So first we have Vince who is portrayed by Adrian Grenier. His performance was correct but I found his character profile was flat and didn't really care about his career. It's hard to explain but I think the problem was his attitude. The actor lacks charisma and failed to make Vince believable as a rising star. I found Kevin Connolly far much more convincing as Eric Murphy. He's his best friend and Vince relies on him when it comes to make decisions. I was instantly intrigued by his fate and really wonder if the pizza boy will turn into a manager. Third we have Turtle of all trades. I really disliked his behavior because he acted like a jerk most of the time and wasn't even funny. In fact I found him pathetic, annoying and the writers didn't leave us with much hope. It's sad because a weak character has always the potential to turn into a charming prince. As for Drama he is Vince's brother and struggles to affirm himself as a valuable actor. Kevin Dillon's performance was hilarious at times and should definitely make you care for his character. There's just something dumb and funny about him that is irresistible.

But an actor would be nothing without its talent manager and that's why Ari Gold exists. Jeremy Piven is a fantastic actor and the only excuse you need to watch Entourage. Most of his scenes were overwhelmed by his incredible energy and in fact he could be a one man show. Late Night with Ari Gold ? I'm in ! I also enjoyed the tension with Eric and the triangle they design with Vince should definitely intrigue you. As for the other elements we also had some guest stars and among them were two hot and young actresses that can only appeal to the male audience but their roles were anecdotic. However it revealed how the show can be superficial most of the time and it's probably the one issue that could prevent you from following their adventure. Indeed Entourage is not at all about covering the dark side of fame so it's obvious the upcoming episodes won't be about dirty money or loneliness for example. But it's not necessarily a bad thing considering other productions already covered these topics.

Does the sun always shine on Entourage ? The answer is definitely yes but it's obvious some characters are not happy with their lives and things don't have to be all black to make you care about them. Will Drama become as famous as Vince ? Is Turtle just a rabbit or something more ? What about Eric versus Ari ? With so many characters it shouldn't be too hard to find the one you relate to. Becoming a superstar and getting the girls is a smoking fantasy but there's nothing wrong about dreaming as long as you know that happiness can't be bought with money for instance. And if you're a very serious person then Entourage should remind you that sometimes it's nice to entertain yourself and not to think about things too much. Its pilot wasn't mind blowing but it provided some fun and was intriguing enough.

Entourage

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 10 May 2020]

Jeremy Piven appeared in The Player. It certainly served an inspiration as a satire of a hotshot actor from New York and his childhood friends in Hollywood.

The first episode sees Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) being pursued by his abrasive agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) to read a hot script.

The trouble is Vincent does not read scripts he leaves that to his best friend Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly.) Vincent prefers to have a good time with his other friends such as Turtle (Jerry Ferrara). Half brother Johnny 'Drama' Chase (Kevin Dillon) is also an actor but struggles to get parts, so he hopes associating with his more successful brother would be good for his own career.

With a name like Entourage, this is a world of showbiz parties. Vincent is on the up, his friends wants him to buy a better house, get to Vegas in a private jet. Only Eric seems to be on the lookout for him, maybe protecting his meal ticket.

Ari wants to get the best for his client as well, but for that Vincent needs to play the game, schmooze with directors and read scripts.

What stands out from the first episode is the closeness between the four friends. They josh about but it is done in jest than nastiness.

Hollywood, baby!

[MaxBorg89 · 9/10 · 1 April 2008]

Set in L.A., is an occasionally merciless Hollywood satire, contains countless cameos by movie stars playing either themselves or a fictional character. Oh, and Jeremy Piven's in it. Sound familiar? At first sight, Entourage seems to have a lot in common with The Player, Robert Altman's superb cinematic murder of the industry he worked in, one of the darkest movies about movies since the classic Sunset Blvd. There are, however, a few crucial differences: first of all, HBO's hit comedy is considerably lighter in tone and a hell of a lot funnier, too; more importantly, though, it is less about the obscure machinations of Tinseltown than it is about that most universal of themes - friendship.

To be more specific, Entourage stems from this premise: how would you behave if your best friend suddenly became a movie star? The series shows three different reactions to such an event, all revolving around young new hot celebrity Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), formerly a poor kid from New York, now L.A.'s most wanted bachelor. His best buddy, Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly), who acts as his manager, tries to stay realistic about the situation and constantly reminds Vince of the constantly volatile status famous actors enjoy. Johnny "Drama", Vincent's older brother, who's also an actor, tries to profit from the kid's fame to get a job, since he hasn't worked in a few years (ironically, or maybe not, the character is played by Kevin Dillon, younger sibling of the more renowned Matt). And Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), the most fun-loving of the gang, lives with a "seize the day" attitude, i.e. weed, parties and girls all over the place.

As the pilot begins, Vince's celebrity is about to be cemented by the premiere of his new movie, Head On, in which he stars with Jessica Alba. Following the screening, the boys hit it to a club, where they are later joined by Vince's manager Ari Gold (Piven), a potty-mouthed scumbag who is desperate to secure a new role for his client. The project he has in mind is called Matterhorn, and everything seems to be all right until Eric expresses his reservations concerning the script and has a pretty rough meeting with Ari.

On a superficial level, one could boil down the show's core to the confrontation between Eric and Ari. Not that it is entirely wrong to think like that: the two rarely agree on a single thing. However, there is so much more to the series than the hilarious agent/manager verbal dueling. As mentioned previously, Entourage is first and foremost about the enduring friendship that links the four protagonists: the real heart of the show lies in how Vince, E, Johnny and Turtle interact and lovingly mock each other in that "pals for ever" kind of way. A great example of this is the in-joke of Drama having appeared in Pacific Blue and Turtle joking: "When the hell were you on NYPD Blue?". Aside from the self-referential nature of the gag (Kevin Dillon was a recurring guest star on NYPD Blue), the humor derives from the real chemistry between the characters and the actors playing them. Dillon and Ferrara, in particular, form a comedy duo to rival Jay and Silent Bob. Piven plays no second fiddle to these guys, though: embodying all the negative aspects of the movie business at the same time, Ari is a joy for the ears whenever he opens his mouth, especially if he has to use the F-word repeatedly.

Bottom line: foul language, great dialogue, a committed cast, splendid visuals and more cameos than one could imagine (in the case of this ep, Ali Larter and Mark Wahlberg, who also serves as an executive producer on the show). What's not to love?