Starlet (2012)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

hyped garbage

Great Film overall

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

One would think there's not much more to say about the empty life of druggy, fringy youth in L.A.'s San Fernando valley. But this film messes with our expectations in lovely ways, and ends up as a comedy-drama that's human and surprising. Calling a film like this 'little' is no pejorative. If it was 'bigger' (budget, stars) it probably would have had it's jagged edges shorn off, and with them would have gone much of it's special-ness. The acting is terrific. Dree Hemingway makes the air-headed, hottie lead wonderfully vapid and annoying – at first – and lets us only slowly come to appreciate her humanity underneath. Besedka Johnson, in her film debut as the 85 year old that Hemingway stumbles into an uneasy friendship with makes her character equal parts spiky defensive exterior and vulnerable, needy center, giving reality and depth to this sad, touchy recluse. The photography is also very evocative; its ugly, bleached color and slightly off-kilter but deliberate framings are far more interesting than is common in a micro-budget indie. And the film makes some brave choices, like a few seconds of extreme and un-simulated sexuality that makes points about character and our perceptions by being both shocking and banal at the same time. My only real frustrations were that a few of the plot twists felt forced – too neat and coincidental for a film this grounded in feeling 'real'. But that was nowhere near enough of a problem to keep me from feeling very warm indeed about this odd-ball character study.

(Spoilers)"Starlet" is a bit difficult to rate. It has a lot going for it and on the whole was a fairly good parable even if the ending is obvious and out-in-the-open despite its intended juxtapose. It had a chance to be an excellent movie but takes some dings due to a couple mis-steps by the storytellers that seem amateurish and rather disappointing. The 2 major annoyances for me were the awful in-your- face Porn scene with graphic smut that went "beyond the pale", and to a lesser degree the lower quality picture, camera-work, and shakiness. Sadly those are highly fixable problems. I enjoyed the acting, storyline, and the accompanying music a lot. Loved the relationship with the 2 leads and the Hemingway with the dog did it better than Witherspoon in comedy "Legally Blonde". Anyway, so the movie is like reading a good story that has been terribly proofread, and with glaring, obvious errors. Good though and Recommended. 7/10

I will start with the unnecessary (but not necessarily negative) interjection of the adult film industry theme into this film which I feel detracts somewhat from the ultimate story. It is not that adult film performers don't have normal emotions but it just seems distracting from the ultimate story, which is simply the emotional bond that forms between a young woman with an aimless lifestyle and good heart who confronts her own guilt about a wrong she commits against an old woman by undertaking her version of atonement for that wrong.The plot is deceptively simple, a young woman discovers $10,000 hidden in a thermos flask she buys in a yard sale from an old woman. She then confronts the moral dilemma and guilt of keeping the money and ultimately decides, after hearing that the old woman she bought the thermos from does not need the money, to spend the money primarily on making the old woman happy and seeks out the old woman's companionship. This premise, and the skillful mining of that premise, is expertly accomplished by the talented cast and director.One or two commenters say the theme has been done before. But what theme or plot has not been done before? It is the trip itself that is the reward and the viewer is treated to good acting, crisp and insightful scripting,and a wonderful ride.Another commenter thought the ending was abrupt and uncertain. It was anything but. The old woman at the end after learning of the money, in a masterful and understated ending showed her forgiveness for the young woman's guilty errors and heartfelt atonement, and showed her closeness and feelings for the young woman by indirectly disclosing her deepest personal secret through the simple act of asking flowers to be placed on a grave.I have to think hard to come up with a more masterful ending to a movie then the subtle ending of this low-key immensely entertaining indie film. Highly recommended.

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.