Written by: Sean Baker & Chris Bergoch
Starring: Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Stella Maeve, James Ransone, Karren Karagulian
Rating: [4.5/5]
Believing in something like karma allows for a way of thinking where good deeds get met with additional ones causing a cycle of positivity in the world. An idea that only benefits the world and further entices others to act in a manner to help their fellow person. Starlet very much operates within this idea in bringing forward a situation where someone must choose to do the right thing allowing for an unlikely but blossoming relationship to exist.
Living with her friend and skeevy boyfriend, Jane (Dree Hemingway) has limitations in what she can do with decorating her room, which leads her to a garage sale to find some furniture where she buys a thermos from an older woman named Sadie (Besedka Johnson). When Jane gets home she realizes the thermos has wads of cash that perhaps Saide was unaware sat in there putting her in the position of trying to decide if she should return the funds to the elderly lady.
In a world growing more and more cynical by the day, Starlet feels like quite the shot in the arm to disarm all of the negativity and look at such a wonderfully moving story. A narrative that certainly has its negative individuals indulging themselves in narrowly-focused selfishness but at its core this feature allows us to spend time with Jane and Sadie and the ups and downs of their relationship. The more time they spend together the more endearing it becomes making for such a delightful viewing experience with not much to say but eliciting the overall message resoundingly.
Jane finding the cash in the thermos certainly presents her and the audience with a circumstance of deciphering exactly what they would do if put in the situation. If looking at the situation legally, one would think if Jane purchased the thermos, it means anything within it falls into what belongs to her even if the seller unknowingly kept something within it. However, what stands legally may certainly clash with the morality at play here and this push and pull Jane experiences has her continue to back to Sadie with this mix of guilt but then a genuine interest to connect with the older woman and learn more about her. This genuine interest blossoms into something quite beautiful, but certainly comes with its rough patches, particularly, at the start.
For as much as the point can be belabored regarding what choice Jane must elect with the money, she initially does try to give it back and before she can even lay bring it up gets shut down by Sadie. This makes Jane return to her in a pestering way because she wants to build a bond with her and the lowering of the walls the elder woman had initially raised high allows for what their relationship turns into to carry more power. Essentially, you have two individuals who equally feel lonely in their current life circumstances even with existing relationships, and this allows them to build a rapport with a foundation of kindness. You have to love Jane’s insistence in spending time with Sadie where she tears down every excuse to not let this cranky old lady sit in isolation.
Sadie and Jane’s friendship operates as the main plot of the film, but surrounding it we follow the latter’s relationship with her friend Melissa (Stella Maeve) and her career as a pornographic performer. Through this feature, it presents us with a behind-the-scenes look at how things operate within the industry and the type of individuals who hang around them. From Melissa’s annoying boyfriend trying to continually prove himself as something more than what reality bears to attending conventions with sweaty fans, this part of the feature definitely shows the good and bad of working in pornography. It does not focus on the depraved side or glosses it up as some glamorous profession, but something that serves as work for Jane just like for anyone else. In this case, this line of work requires different things from her than a normal job would. This approach makes the feature feel even more grounded in the realism it wants to present through its narrative allowing for it to feel like a slice of life, which very much defines what director Sean Baker sought to elicit through the narrative.
Very much in keeping with the way he likes to craft his stories, Sean Baker takes this limited budget and crafts something so meaningful. He rejects the idea of utilizing the thrills and these big bust-ups for these characters and opts to just demonstrate how these individuals live their lives. In moments, it does not feel like we’re watching made-up fictional characters as they operate in a way that feels incredibly natural and we just have a camera expertly following them around. This provides Dree Hemingway to burst onto the scene with an impressive feature film acting debut. This kindness she imbues through her character brings such a soft touch to the film allowing for these moments to be baked in realism making the emotions feel even more authentic.
Positive vibes reverberate all throughout Starlet as a feature seeking to present us with a wonderful little friendship and doing it very well. Falling in love with the friendship built between Jane and Sadie proves effortless as these two bring such a fun and caring dynamic to the forefront of the film. After a while, it does not become about the money but rather the connections made by these characters, which ultimately does not pay the bills but definitely helps round out a life worth living as explored in this touching and moving film.
Films with Josh 
