Besedka Johnson

Stream of the Week: STARLET – an odd couple with a surprising bond

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Besedka Johnson and Dree Hemingway in STARLET

Writer-director Sean Baker has created two indie hits in the past three years – the hilarious shot-on-an-iPhone trans comedy Tangerine and the crushingly authentic wild child drama The Florida Project.  Here is Baker’s lesser known gem.

In the indie relationship drama Starlet, a 21-year-old woman is living in a seedy part of the San Fernando Valley and working in an even sketchier industry, when she buys an old thermos from a woman sixty years older than she.  She finds a considerable sum of cash hidden within the thermos, keeps it, and, out of guilt, insinuates herself into the old woman’s life. The octogenarian is initially resistant, but a bond grows between them; each has a need that is revealed during the movie. It’s worth sitting back and going with the leisurely story, because the payoff at the end is surprisingly moving.

In her first movie credit, Besedka Johnson is astonishingly good as the older woman, both formidable and vulnerable. Sean Baker has, of course, gotten amazing performance out of non-actors in Tangerine and The Florida Project – it’s his gift, and it’s become his signature.

Dree Hemingway in STARLET

Model Dree Hemingway (daughter of Mariel and great-granddaughter of Ernest) demonstrates an engaging screen presence as the young woman. Stella Maeve is very convincing as the young woman’s nogoodnik roommate.

Starlet is available to stream from Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, YouTube and Google Play.

Starlet: an odd couple with a surprising bond

by

In the indie relationship drama Starlet, a 21-year-old woman is living in a seedy part of the San Fernando Valley and working in an even sketchier industry, when she buys an old thermos from a woman sixty years older than she.  She finds a considerable sum of cash hidden within the thermos, keeps it, and, out of guilt, insinuates herself into the old woman’s life.  The octogenarian is initially resistant, but a bond grows between them; each has a need that is revealed during the movie.  It’s worth sitting back and going with the leisurely story, because the payoff at the end is surprisingly moving.

Model Dree Hemingway (daughter of Mariel and great-granddaughter of Ernest) demonstrates an engaging screen presence as the young woman.  In her first movie credit, Besedka Johnson is astonishingly good as the older woman, both formidable and vulnerable.  Stella Maeve is very convincing as the young woman’s nogoodnik roommate.