Review: Stars At Noon

Image courtesy of A24.

More of an extended - and occasionally too long - vibe than a story, Claire Denis' adaptation of Denis Johnson's novel, "Stars at Noon," feels like an unusual hangout movie in which two people whose motivations and backgrounds mostly remain mysterious - despite one of their penchants for vocalizing their every thought and complaint - and spend a lot of time in a dangerous place having sex and trying to stay one step away from the authorities.

The novel on which the film is based was written in 1986 and was set during the Nicaraguan Revolution of 1984. Curiously, the film is still set in Nicaragua but its story takes place in the present - in fact, there are several scenes during which the two leads are forced to stop and take COVID-19 tests before entering a premises.  

In the film, Margaret Qualley plays Trish, who is apparently a reporter - and I say "apparently" because she never appears to be reporting on anything, gets chewed out by an editor (John C. Reilly) via Zoom for some apparent reason, and seemingly has no instincts for getting to the bottom of things - trying to get out of Nicaragua after doing something to upset some bigwigs. It is mentioned that she wrote articles about "hangings" and murders, but her phone call with Reilly's editor involves a travel piece.

She stumbles onto a soft-spoken Englishman known as Daniel (Joe Alwyn) who it appears is being trailed by a number of shady characters - a sleazy cop, some CIA agent (Benny Safdie) and some Nicaraguan officials. Much of the picture involves Trish and Daniel being holed up in her seedy motel - where the proprietress doesn't take kindly to Trish calling it a "cesspool" - and having lots of sex in which the camera lingers on Qualley's chest or Alwyn's backside.

As I'd mentioned, the film is more of a vibe than a story - and there are moments when that vibe can be transfixing, especially during a scene at a dance hall where the two leads slow dance to a song that makes reference to the film's title and some neon lighting goes a long way toward creating atmosphere. Such scenes are coupled with more lethargic ones in which the duo walk down sidewalks in impoverished neighborhoods or hold vague discussions about how they're going to flee to Costa Rica.

Considering that the film's director is Claire Denis, the focus on atmosphere over plot mechanics isn't a surprise. The great filmmaker's best works - "Beau Travail," "Trouble Every Day," "Chocolat" (the 1988 film, not the Juliette Binoche vehicle) and "35 Shots of Rum" - are often elliptical and transfixing films that emphasize place and mood over narrative. And most of the time this works. This time, it produces more mixed results.

While "Stars at Noon" isn't a bad movie - in fact, it's often compelling when it's not killing time - it's a pretty minor work from a great director. I wasn't sure what to make of its strange plotting - and am still not sure what exactly Alwyn's character does for a living or why he's in trouble - and its occasional misogynistic dialogue aimed at Qualley's character. This is the type of movie that when it's working, it compels, but when it's not - and that's, unfortunately, more often than not - it feels like a lark from an immensely talented person.