Starfish

This movie may have been billed as Drama/Horror but essentially it's neither. Although the premise of the film is a girl battling thru the end of the world in which monsters have come thru from another dimension, its really just all a bunch of metaphorical hooey that the writer/director was using to express his personal grief issues. Thus the only person who truly understands this movie is its creator, the rest of us can only take our best guess as to what it all means. My interpretation is that the star represents the director, coping with some marital and grief issues and the monsters are the occasional terror and anxiety they felt in their isolation. The premise of some magical sound hidden in the various mixtapes feels like a thin veil put on the film so it could be categorized. If you want a monster horror flic, this isnt for you but if you have a personal relationship with grief, loss, or regret, then you may find some understanding in the film, but dont look for any big answers.

It's never easy to assign stars and ratings to movies or books. In this case it is particularly difficult and this can be a good thing. Halfway through the movie I found it simply pathetic and pretentious. In the end l had a different opinion, although I do not consider it the masterpiece that many consider. It strives to be an indie film, with indie songs, indie dialogues, indie narrative, indie art direction. For me, this doesn't work very well because it turns out to be partly, a deconstructivist work, which turns out badly in architecture and can't make wonderful films either. However, it is not a film to forget, it is another movie that keeps us waiting for the next ones. Clearly a story that originates in the author's intimate life, so perhaps for this fact it captivates many people.

I will always love discovering new filmmakers that clearly have the potential to grow throughout future projects. Even if their first outing doesn't quite blow me away, talent is talent, and I believe this exact statement is worthy of mentioning director A.T. White. Directing short films and working in the music industry, those are two very similar fields, in terms of expressing visual style in a short period of time. Starfish is his first official feature film to be given a wide release and although it does feel like an elongated, independent music video, there is also a lot to like here.

Following Aubrey, as she grieves the loss of her best friend, she also wakes up to realize most of the world has ended and she may be the only person living, among a few new creatures that have found a new resting place. The premise of this film alone is what sucked me in and many of the visuals held my interest, but I have to admit that the way this story is told kind of wore thin by the time Starfish reached its third act. I actually almost started disliking it when a certain fourth-wall moment happens, but I forgave it for not lasting too long.

As mentioned earlier, director A.T. White comes from a background of short films and music, which is why this movie felt like a long music video at times. Told through many bizarre visuals and many high-key dramatic scores, quiet is definitely not a term to describe this one. There were times when, even though very good, the score felt incredibly unnecessary, but I admire the desire to place music in certain scenes. Also composed by White, there's a clear vision here and all I can do is commend the effort.

Having worked with White in the past, Cinematographer Alberto Banares is another standout here. The way certain things are framed or manipulated was clearly done in-camera, which is always something I admire in any film. If for nothing else, this is a movie that benefits from a solid score, some superb cinematography, and very coherent direction that is seen through from start to finish. Having a talented star in Virginia Gardner (known most notably for Marvel's Runaways) didn't hurt either.

In the end, Starfish is a film that I loved in concept and enjoyed quite a bit throughout the first two acts, but I could see what it was going for and the revelations didn't work for me throughout the final few minutes. Everything about this movie is admirable, but that's all I really got out of it in retrospect. I can't recommend this movie to average filmgoers, but it may be worth a shot for those wishing to pursue a filmmaking career. There are a lot of impressive techniques throughout this movie.

It is very pretentious though. This is a one-man live action dream, a nightmare or a trip. It has a single track plot, nauseatingly slow with chaotic details and a few peekaboo scares. It reconnects with reality and speeds up closer to the end. Monsters and vfx here are not to amaze but to add to sophistication. Somber and ethereal music makes for a more enjoyable experience.

I really enjoyed this movie. It's one of those movies that gives you just enough information to keep you interested but keeps you in a place where you are never fully sure of what's going on. It is abstract and beautiful with a great soundtrack. I walked away from it knowing that I really enjoyed it but not knowing exactly how to express why. I recommend it. Not for movie-goers who demand an explosion every 30 seconds.