Julian (Seeking Film)’s review published on Letterboxd:
Muted reactions to Claire Denis’s latest equally muted “romance” may leave some hesitant to venture into her second(!) film of 2022, but for all intents and purposes, Stars at Noon checks all the Denis boxes. More precisely, Stars at Noon checks off several boxes very specific to Denis’ past work. A character motivation that strongly echoes White Material; a tender dance scene at a bar with heavy shades or 35 Shots of Rum; and the colonial/political background reminiscent of… pretty much any Denis film not reliant on Robert Pattinson’s sperm as a plot piece. Stars at Noon is by no means a change of pace, but perhaps what stands out here within the crowd—aside from its particular Central American setting or the one-scene cameo from a certain step brother—is this film’s particular air of exasperation.
Stars at Noon, much like its fiery lead actress Margarette Qualley, operates on a consistent level of spirited dispiritedness; that threshold of personal defeat in which one is powering through on their last legs, in an all-or-nothing final attempt to avoid waving that white flag. The piercing gaze of Qualley’s cold blue eyes give off the most potent “done with this shit” aura, and because of that, her unconvincing romance with Joe Alwyn is… entirely convincing. You don’t believe for a second when either of them says they love the other, but Denis never gives the impression that you’re supposed to. The fuse that lights their romance is only as bright as their thirst for each other’s sweaty bodies, and Denis expectedly films this dispassionate affair with all lust and no affection.
In spite of the fact that Stars at Noon’s vagueness leaves enough writing on the wall to spell how far out-of-their-element this entangled pair truly is, one would be forgiven in wanting more context to fill in some of the gaps as far as narrative investment. Perhaps more detail on the political circumstances of the setting or Alwyn’s particular goings-on would have been the missing piece to make Stars at Noon whole, and perhaps such detail would have defeated the whole purpose of Qualley’s blurred, roving journey. Clearly, Claire Denis thrives on living cozily in those gaps that some of us long to fill.
Cannes 2022.
(UP NEXT—> LEILA’S BROTHERS.)
