MovieChat Forums > Maps to the Stars (2015) Discussion > Christina at the end (spoilers)

Christina at the end (spoilers)


If there was a small budget, I really wish they chose a different way for her to commit suicide. The self immolation looked too cheap and silly to take seriously.

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It looked awful.


I don't think it really happened, though, it looked like Stafford had a stroke and/or had catatonia.

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I'm pretty sure it was imagined and she didn't really kill herself that way.

Poorly Lived and Poorly Died, Poorly Buried and No One Cried

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Imaginary or not, it looked reaalllyyy bad visually. Those terribly rendered cgi flames really took me out of the movie and that was probably not the directors intent I'm guessing.

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Yeah. I'm really disappointed especially since Cronenberg built a very solid reputation on practical effects (The Fly, Videodrome, Scanners, etc).

I think he was trying something different but his budget wasn't up to it.

Seize the moment, 'cause tomorrow you might be dead.

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Cronenberg wanted the actress to ‘burn’ and not a stunt double, so they had to use CGI, but I’m not convinced it’s meant to be real. Her corpse seems to vanish into the water like the ghost children, and Cusack doesn’t seem to react as if his sister/wife has just roasted herself alive, he’s relaxing by the pool moments later. Benjie also doesn’t notice anything when he swings by shortly afterwards

The characters all seem to lose their minds and hallucinate so it’s not clear whether something as bizarre as this self-immolation scene is actually real. Cusack’s therapist character seems to need more therapy than the rest of them, so this could just be his psychosis.

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