Starlet (2012)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Overrated

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Dreadfully Boring

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).

STARLET (dir. Sean Baker) When 21 year old Jane discovers $10,000 in cash stuffed in a thermos that she bought at an old woman's yard sale, she tries to do the right thing and return the money. However, the old woman didn't know about the money (her long dead husband might have hidden the cash), so Jane befriends elderly Sadie in order to pay off the karmic debt. Because Jane's unusual occupation is not revealed until the film is almost half over, her illicit employment does not affect the natural relationship that grows between the two woman. A fine Independent film, and Dree Hemingway (Jane) and Besedka Johnson (Sadie) deliver exception performances. It must be mentioned that Jane's pet Chihuahua in the film is powerfully cute! Worth A Look.

I want to make it clear, Dree Hemingway is a legitimate actress, not a real pornstar. But here she plays Jane renting a room in someone else's home, going about her daily business, at first with no indication of what she does for a living. It is gradually revealed, she is a pornstar. But in most respects seems like a normal 20-something.The room she rents is pretty bare, so she drives around one day, going from yard sale to yard sale, to pick up a few things to decorate her space. One of the places is the home of an older lady, approaching 90, Besedka Johnson as Sadie. There she buys a tall thermos bottle, intending to use it as a vase. Sadie warns her "the sale is final" and this plays into the further scenes.This is a curious slice of life story, I find myself unable to attach a legitimate "score" because it depends on what one looks for in a small, independent movie. It ultimately is about the unlikely relationship that forms between Jane and Sadie, and things that are gradually revealed by each. (An interesting aside, Jane and Sadie have a short conversation about their astrological signs. The actress who plays Sadie is new to the acting business, she had been an astrologer!)SPOILERS: When Jane got the thermos home she found inside a number of rolls of $100 bills, $10,000 in all. Wrestling with her conscience she decided to bring it back, but the old lady said "No returns" and shut the door. But Jane persisted, she found ways to be where Sadie was, offered her rides, befriended her. In the process Jane found out Sadie didn't lack for money, her husband had been a very successful gambler, and the $10,000 in the thermos was no doubt his. So eventually Jane hatched a plan to spend all the money on Sadie, to bring her to Paris for a week, a place Sadie "loved" but had never been. Even though Jane's jealous house-mate went over and told Sadie "Jane has a lot of your money", Sadie was happy in the fact that she had found a friend.

Watched this having never heard a word about this film and despite there not being a lot going on it was strangely captivating. Possibly because the acting feels very genuine and the plot / character development was steady paced and fully believable. Ending was well done as well and it leaves the final statements about the film and Sadie and Tess's relationship and assumption as to where things go completely up to the viewer.Spoiler: I was shocked during the sex scene as I've never seen full penetration complete with ejaculation in a real movie before and I'm still conflicted as to whether or not this added to the movie or not. I'm curious to know about how others reacted to this level of detail as well.