'Stars at Noon' - Movie Review

Stars at Noon is a movie directed by Claire Denis, starring Margaret Qualley and Joe Alwyn.

Premise

In present-day Nicaragua, a headstrong American journalist and a mysterious English businessman strike up a romance as they become embroiled in a dangerous labyrinth of lies and conspiracies and are forced to try and escape the country.

Movie Review

Stars at Noon is a movie that knows how to set its own tone. It allows its actors to maneuver, and gives way for the story to build up and takes it particular twists and turns towards a story full of intrigue and politics that intertwines with the personal dramas of its characters.

The director does indeed have style, a style that is both daringly sincere and masterfully deceitful, as it on the surface seems relaxed and unkempt.

If you are expecting a classic thriller, ‘Stars at Noon’ might come across to you as too much of a drama, about two strangers who meet in the midst of chaos, internal and external. The dichotomy of the landscape and the characters is well presented with a direction that uses an extremely intelligent approach to deceive.

The performances are outstanding, giving the two protagonists, played by Margaret Qualley and Joe Alwyn, convincing profiles that are both bitter, resigned and sensual.

Our Opinion

This is a story full of bitterness, perhaps a failed thriller, perhaps a romantic drama that has no resolution, never really finding its genre. It is an interesting movie that shines for the good direction behind, and the fantastic performances of the two lead actors.

Release Date

October 14, 2022 (United States)

Director

Claire Denis

Claire Denis (French: [dəni]; born 21 April 1946 in Paris) is a French auteur film director and writer. Denis is widely regarded as one of the strongest female voices in contemporary world cinema. Her film Beau Travail (1999) is considered a modern masterpiece and one of the greatest female-directed films in the history of cinema. Other acclaimed works include Trouble every Day (2001), 35 Shots of Rum (2008), White Material (2009) and High Life (2018). Her work has had a lasting impact on European cinematic identity and has dealt with themes of colonial and post-colonial West Africa, as well as issues in modern France. She is known for her elliptical shooting style and the nonverbal interactions between her protagonists, which she is showing in many close-ups that remain relentlessly on the faces and bodies of her actors. The subject’s body in space, and how the particular terrain, weather, and color of the landscape influences and interacts with the human subjects of her films maintains cinematic dominance. Read More