Stars at Noon: Film Review
I was seriously impressed by Margaret Qualley‘s performance in Maid so I obviously had to check her out in Claire Denis‘ latest film Stars at Noon – but sadly, she is the only reason to watch it.
She plays Trish, an American journalist stranded in present-day Nicaragua without a passport, phone and American money. Trish makes local cash via sex work, which is how she encounters the mysterious English businessman Daniel (Joe Alwyn). She sees him as her exit strategy and they form a bond, although it turns out he is in even great danger than she is.
This could have been an effective thriller if it wasn’t so frustratingly long and slow. Denis takes her sweet time and leaves us hanging for an explanation about what dodgy business Daniel is caught up in so it is hard to get truly invested in the story. Sure, suspense can often be found in not knowing, but that wasn’t the case here. Also, I found Denis’ script to be lacking as certain lines rang false or hollow and didn’t sound genuine for the characters at all.
The film hinges upon the chemistry of the central leads and I wasn’t convinced by it, despite the sex and the declarations of love. Trish and Daniel work better as companions who are stuck in a bad situation and need one another to get out rather than two people in love. This might be because Daniel is bland, stiff and a charm-free zone – I’m not sure if that is by design or because Alwyn wasn’t right for the part.
There are some positives though. Denis does well in creating a grimy, claustrophobic atmosphere to match the hot and humid weather. Qualley’s performance is the highlight – she has charisma and personality and is suitably stressed and emotional as someone who has got themselves in a massive mess. Also, John C. Reilly has an outstanding appearance as her no-nonsense boss and Benny Safdie makes an impact as an agent near the end.
Stars at Noon had the potential to be an amazing thriller but the pacing and chemistry are all wrong.
Available on digital platforms from Monday 19th June