The brilliant Claire Dennis has historically been underrated at the Cannes Film Festival, which is why official competition has been reduced for the second time since she first appeared in her 1988 film debut. chocolate. So it’s unfortunate to say that the French author’s rare resurgence in the main selection is one of his less interesting films. night stars, A romantic thriller in English and Spanish, more about purpose than execution. Led by unconvincing performances by chemically deficient leads, this is a film almost dramatically lacking in texture or dramatic force.
Given that the action takes place in Nicaragua, under an oppressive government, with armed military guards in the streets and protest slogans calling for “Stop the abuse of power”, it is a great achievement that the film remains there, inert. This may be in part due to Dennis Johnson’s decision to update the 1986 novel from its original setting during the 1984 Sandinista reign. Cell phones, internet, and additions. Masks to confirm the COVID-19 pandemic. For some reason, the stakes are simply not real or urgent.
night stars
Main fault.
Probably because the writers couldn’t present the story to the end, night stars It never feels reliably modern, showing more aliens who fell in love with political intrigue with 80s thrillers, for example. ლის Under fire ANY A year of dangerous life. It will be nice if it involves some heat or tension.
Both films were dedicated to English-speaking journalists trying to cover the riots of corrupt regimes while getting into trouble. Dennis’ protagonist Trish Johnson (Qualie) has dubious press credentials, but even as she tries to sell stories of political kidnapping and election interference, contact with the editor of her American magazine (John S. Riley in a Skype cameo) ) tells him to stop. “You’re not a journalist,” he informs her bluntly.
When trying to get out of the country without a plane ticket, Trish kills time lost in Rome and tricks, preferably in US dollars. She won the favor of sleeping with a police lieutenant (Nick Romano) who confiscated her passport and has now canceled her press card; And sympathy to the deputy minister of Tourism (Stephan Proaño), whose willingness to help reached the limit.
Trish is an alcoholic drifter whose cynicism towards the Nicaraguan government is quite justified, but the script never gives a clue as to what brought him to the country and kept him there for so long that he fell that way.
He finds a possible escape route for Daniel Dehaven (Alvin), a married Englishman who claims to be in Nicaragua consulting an oil company where he intends to invest. Trish sleeps with him for $50, which leads him to become a gossip: “You often commit adultery. I really don’t miss anyone. I feel my life is in danger.” Such dialogue echoes poetry drawn from the late author Johnson, but rings false in the mouths of the actors.
In between Trish and Daniel’s collapse at their luxury dive hotel, Trish and Daniel make a mistake, swimming in the cherries and getting each other drunk. In contrast, Trish is smart enough to perceive Daniel’s alleged business partner (Danny Ramírez) as a shadowy Costa Rican police force, which means the British might not be what they seem.
As soon as the threats begin on them, they drive out of town in a stolen car and try to cross the border into Costa Rica, but the American (Missing and Dilapidated Benny Safd), whose detailed knowledge of both of them names him by the CIA. The path of your escape plan.
After Dennis put his marks on romantic comedy and drama respectively. let the sunshine s both sides of the knifeIt seemed potentially intriguing that the director was researching materials far from France, as he did on memorable African films like the 1999 masterpiece. Beau Work. But Dennis never carries out his narrative here: neither in the context of political turmoil nor in their trust-based love story, the couple’s isolation becomes a survival strategy. The demand for a pandemic skin looks set to improve characters’ sense of hiding to varying degrees, although it demands that it be a little puzzling from the start.
The novel isn’t helped by the superficial characterization of Quell, who at several points seems on the verge of declaring the hideous return of a maniacal pix to a dream girl, but her sternness and cunning represent a stance; And Alvin, who is basically a white linen white suit and not one you can buy for a hot-wired car. The man’s lead role was originally going to be played by Robert Pattinson, who worked with Dennis on his first English-language film, The Secret of Science Fiction. high lifebut i was busy Dogma s bat Man. Taron Egerton was then assigned the role, but left for personal reasons at the start of the speech.
The film is shot in Panama and in the lush jungles under the blinding sun and torrential rain, and while it looks good, with a good sense of place and lots of deftly drawn intimacy in the sex scenes, it doesn’t match the director’s best. photography Eric Gottlieb. Then there’s the veteran, partisan crew of the English chamber pop group Tindersticks, whose free jazz reefs here seem to oppose construction. There’s almost always something interesting going on, even in Dennis’ mediocre films, but it feels a little strange to go through each step of a troubled travel book.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
