Film Review: STARS AT NOON (2022): Margaret Qualley’s Performance is Superb in Claire Denis’ Meandering Film

Stars at Noon Review

Stars at Noon (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Claire Denis, written by Andrew Litvack and Claire Denis and starring Margaret Qualley, Joe Alwyn, Benny Safdie, Danny Ramirez, John C. Reilly and Nick Romano.

Andie MacDowell’s daughter, Margaret Qualley, becomes an automatic movie star in the first twenty minutes or so of Claire Denis’ new hit-and-miss film, Stars at Noon. When Qualley comes onto the screen, she has an alluring appeal about her which makes her performance so exciting to watch. Unfortunately, the movie’s script starts out strong but ends with a resounding thud making the movie more of a disappointment than it should have been. Denis is a director of tremendous talent so it occasionally feels like Stars at Noon is a giant missed opportunity. That being said, though, there’s plenty to admire for people who stick through this movie’s lengthy two and a quarter hour running time.

The film opens with a young female journalist named Trish Johnson (Qualley) in Nicaragua. The time period is fairly recent given that COVID is in the background and masks are prevalent. What makes the movie immediately reel the viewer in is its presentation of some vivid nudity and sex scenes. Trish is earning money through sexual escapades with men (you could call her a prostitute but as played by Qualley, the character is more complicated than that). However, the movie’s central story line comes into play when Trish meets a handsome English stranger named Daniel (Joe Alwyn) with whom she forms a strong bond. Will they be able to escape to Costa Rica together? Are they really in love or is it all just a relationship based on the need for companionship or financial/emotional security?

Qualley’s Trish has a video call with her boss (John C. Reilly with shaggy hair) early on in the movie and this scene poses a question as to just what type of journalist Trish is. Her boss suggests that she’s not actually assigned to do anything in particular and that she’s just a wannabe reporter rather than an actual one. What is Trish really about then? Why is she currently in her situation? These are a couple of questions the viewer may have that sort of get answered along the way. In any event, John C. Reilly’s cameo is rather amusing even if it’s only marginally plausible.

Daniel is a character with a background that will ultimately challenge his romantic relationship with Trish. Besides the obvious sex scenes, there is only sporadic chemistry between the two performers and the romance suffers as a result. Still, Alwyn has delicate moments in his performance that work well which definitely makes him an emerging actor to watch.

Also appearing in the movie is Benny Safdie in a strong performance as a “CIA man” and this character, being an American like Trish, forces her to confront her feelings for Daniel to decide who, if anyone, she will be loyal to. Danny Ramirez is also in the movie as a “Costa Rican cop” and there’s a little bit of suspense centered around both the CIA guy and the cop. These moments are integrated into the romantic aspects of the movie but the movie doesn’t always flow as fluidly as it could have.

Denis wisely keeps the focus more on the primary characters than the secondary ones in the film and that gives Qualley many moments to shine bright as a result. However, Qualley’s character transformation from the beginning of the movie through to the end could have been complemented by a stronger script. The story is based on a book by Denis Johnson set in a different time period so the adaptation could have used some more edge especially regarding the COVID theme which isn’t tackled as remarkably as I would have liked it to be.

Stars at Noon has some fascinating, quiet moments in its midsection between the two lead characters but the movie is much stronger in the opening segments than anywhere else within the picture. Denis usually has a sharper edge built into every scene of her movies but a couple of moments in the new picture feel flat such as when our lovers try to sell their car to try to escape their situation and have to go through a security clearance to flee Nicaragua. There isn’t much suspense in these scenes causing the viewer to lose some interest in the characters.

Still, Qualley is full of passionate intensity in her role and this performance required a lot of courage on the part of the actress. She’s an incredible screen presence and the opening scenes are great defining moments of who her character is. By the film’s end, though, we’ve lost a bit of Trish’s personality along the way due to the mechanics of the plot. Stars at Noon could be worth seeing just to see Qualley’s fine work but the ending feels like it lacks a bit of a punch that could have made it a better film.

Rating: 6/10

Leave your thoughts on this Stars at Noon review and the film below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. Readers seeking more film reviews can visit our Movie Review Page, our Movie Review Twitter Page, and our Movie Review Facebook Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Flipboard.