Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

• Behind the Yellow Wall: The Making of Starlet (28:30)

• Editing Starlet (3:58)

• Theatrical trailer (2:08)

Bitrate:

 

Description: STARLET explores the unlikely friendship between 21 year-old aspiring actress Jane (Dree Hemingway) and elderly widow Sadie after their worlds collide in California's San Fernando Valley. Jane spends her time getting high with her dysfunctional roommates and taking care of her hihuahua Starlet, while Sadie passes her days alone, tending to her garden. After a confrontation at a yard sale, Jane finds something unexpected in a relic from Sadie's past. Her curiosity piqued, she tries to befriend the caustic older woman. Secrets emerge as their relationship grows, revealing that nothing is ever as it seems.

Director Sean Baker continues in the naturalistic style of his previous films, the Spirit Award nominated Prince of Broadway and Take Out, capturing the rhythms of everyday life with a rare authenticity. Featuring exceptional debut performances by Dree Hemingway (great granddaughter of Ernest and daughter of Mariel) and 85 year-old Besedka Johnson, who received a Special Jury Recognition at SxSW, Starlet is at once provocative, haunting, unpredictable, and surprisingly sweet.

 

 

The Film:

Excerpt from the NY Times located HERE

Image :    NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

The Starlet looks to have been shot on HD and comes to Blu-ray from Music Box Films.  The film was shot entirely in Los Angeles over the course of a month from August to September 2011. It has some of the weaknesses of the newer format with brightness flaring but the film is shot with a very natural intent and this verité sensibility comes through well.  It sneaks into dual-layered territory but retains a modest bitrate and has the sharpness of HD and some impressive depth. Some of the film has a green cast that is probably accurate to the production. This Blu-ray probably looks just like the film The Starlet and it gave me a worthy presentation.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choice between two DTS-HD Master tracks - one in 5.1 surround at 3265 kbps and a second in 2.0 channel stereo at 2105 kbps. This is essentially dialogue-driven with few effects but you get some separation in the Bingo parlor, and the audio transfer seems competent in relating the film's sound with some verité scattering. All was clear and there are optional English subtitles available. Most Music Box films Blu-rays (to my knowledge) have been region FREE - but I am unsure whether this follows the pattern so we will have to put Region 'A'-locked for now.

Extras :

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
To be blunt - I think Starlet is a pretty good film and definitely shows some promise for all involved. I always tend to look at pacing when I see Indie films and this is wonderfully realized. Cute, human, touching. The Blu-ray has adequate a/v and some valuable extras. If you are open to this intentionally understated experience - I suggest giving it a spin. Fans of such should keep your eyes peeled for Asa Akira. I enjoyed Starlet much more than I was anticipating.

Gary Tooze

April 29th, 2013