Starlet

STARLET is a bold and original independent film. It's not afraid to go places most indies would shy away from, mostly due to not landing a distribution deal etc. That is just one of the many reasons why STARLET has true independent spirit.

I saw STARLET at SXSW earlier this year and it was the most exciting narrative to come out of the fest. Sean Baker is a fearless filmmaker that has already established himself with a diverse body of work. He's one I'll be watching for a longtime to come.

And of course this short review/praise would be incomplete without mentioning the breakthrough performance by Dree Hemingway. You could tell she had complete faith in Baker and it showed in her performance. It's a risky role that she seemed to handle gracefully.

STARLET is a film that challenges it's viewers. It challenges our prejudices and preconceived notions, but it does so with a heart.

Honorable mention: The brilliant, and almost effortless, performance by the dog, "Starlet".

My Wife and I watched the at home last night, and wanted to extend the experience with IMDb audience, so I dug into the back story, -- those who made the film in all capacities and other comments such as this. I loved these people in the film, and wanted to extend their "relationship" for as long as possible. The film, rather than being a scaffolding for dramatic tension, was a minimalist plausible story to allow the two main characters, one nearing the end of her life and the other at the beginning, to connect. The occasion for the meeting while unusual, advanced the plot without overpowering the story.

I have just viewed this short video interview of the two leads, Basedka Johnson, who played the elderly Sadie, and Dee Hemingway who portrayed Jane. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsFjMldSSnE If you loved the film, watch it.

If the profession of casting is discovering individuals who encompass the genuine emotions of the fictional characters of a drama, then this was an inspired example of the art. No looking through face shots or previous performances for casting Sadie, as an executive director recognized her character in the women next to her at a local fitness center, and uttered the mythic Hollywood words, "You could be great for the lead part in a film we are making." This is further discussed in the video I reference. Not exactly the best time of life to get such an opportunity, but Basedka jumped at it, with the due caution of her age.

I'm not sure that this magnificent film actually represents the finest example of the actors craft, which at its best can only be a close simulation of reality. What I felt watching the film, and now have confirmed by the single video of the two, and there will be no more since Basheda died soon after at 87, are two people of independent minds who have genuine affection for each other. Those who wrote, directed, edited and contributed to creating this film had the sense and restraint to provide a serviceable vehicle for this to be played out without any undue interference.

They have allowed millions of people to be with two genuine people and their characters for a brief time, who in both realms come from very different backgrounds, yet who share a common humanity. Even the usually seedy world of pornography became just what they did for a living, rather than defining them any more than any other occupation.

For someone much closer to Basheda's age than to Dee's, it is inspiring that she toughed out those last years, and was able to take the surprise of instant fame before it was all over. There are levels of this film that I still haven't been able to fully internalize, much less describe, which is a sign of a work of art that affects the viewer in ways that defy explanation.

Starlet is a character study very much in the spirit of films from the 70s. I think the director was influenced by the likes of Hal Ashby and Paul Mazursky.

A young, slightly aimless woman who has just moved San Fernando Valley, buys a vintage thermos flask at a yard sale from a cranky old lady and discovers $10.000 inside. After making a half-hearted attempt to give it back, she keeps the money, but then feels guilty and tries to befriend the old woman, who remains guarded to the point of hostility at the prospect of having her life disrupted.

The film doesn't ever resort to cosy indie movie clichés about the old passing on their wisdom the the young and life lessons being learned. It also doesn't exploit the young woman's line of business for cheap melodrama, as lesser films would. Both lead performances are wonderful and a cute dog always helps.

The film looks and sounds gorgeous and the director has a knack for what to show us and what to leave out. It's another good case for digital film-making. Talented independent film makers can now make great looking films for peanuts, which is just as well considering Hollywood has almost completely given up on making films for adults.

BTW. the trailer makes this look like another anodyne "heart warming" indie, full of laughter and whimsy, when really it's a much more melancholy, ambivalent and subtle film.

A touching look at an unlikely relationship between an adult film star (Dree Hemingway) and an elderly widow (Besedka Johnson), one that starts when the former discovers $10,000 stuffed into a vase she's purchased at the yard sale of the latter. Feeling guilty, she initially attempts to return the money, but soon settles into doing favors for her, despite encountering prickliness and suspicions that she's a scammer.

It's an offbeat story, perhaps exploring the ways in which kindnesses are exchanged, and the tug between looking out for oneself and forming friendships. The young woman has a friend/roommate/fellow porn star (Stella Maeve) who uses her as much as she is used by her creepy boyfriend, and in contrast to her beauty, has some really ugly outbursts, including hurling a racial slur and erupting at her friend. The performances feel organic and wonderful throughout the cast, including little moments like with the makeup artist or the shy fan at the film expo. It was astounding to me that 85-year-old Johnson was discovered by Sean Baker in a gym and appeared here in her only film role.

As with all of Baker's work, there is a deep streak of humanism and great care to avoid judgement, and along the way we get glimpses into the porn industry and senior bingo nights. The ending comes out of left field and is a reminder that people are carrying around pain that we'll often ever know, a profound moment in an otherwise subdued, yet satisfying script.

When I attended a screening of this indie at the 2013 Glasgow Film Festival there were only four other people in the auditorium! But we happy few saw a real gem: Dree Hemingway plays a young porn star who buys a flask from an old woman (Besedka Johnson), only to discover the flask contains several thousand dollars. When Johnson, thinking she's after a refund, refuses to discuss the flask, Hemingway resolves to do the older woman good turns instead, and gradually a relationship develops between the two.

In a way it's a shame there's so much swearing and sexual content (including a scene of unsimulated sex) in the film, as the central soapy portrayal of the friendship between the two women means it would fit nicely in the inoffensive Sunday afternoon slot on BBC2, if it were more family-friendly. It's not perfect: Hemingway's Valley girl drawl is wearing at times, and some of the dialogue has the smell of "workshopped-dialogue-don't-know-how-to-bring-this-scene-to-a-close" about it, but minor gripes aside this is a nice character piece and I'd happily watch it again, even if it means breaking my 'no performing animals' rule (thankfully the dog - the 'Starlet' of the title - isn't asked to do anything dogs don't normally do).