Verdict
Summary
From co-writer Rob Ackerman and director Alan McIntyre Smith, Stargazer almost reminded me a little bit of a Peter Greenaway movie with its stark, dreamlike imagery and unconventional approach to telling its intriguing story that unfolds like a mysterious pop-up book with secret little tabs to pull that unveil more depth and layers than at first glance.
Plot:
A grad student’s thesis on a forgotten female astronomer plunges her into a real-life parallel that mirrors her subject.
Review:
Grad student Grace (Kate Ginna, a real find of an actress, and also this film’s co-writer) has done some research on a forgotten female astronomer whose historic findings point to the fact that she was the first person to discover the alleged origins of the known universe, but whose discovery was completely appropriated and stolen by her colleague, a man. Grace’s thesis might sound compelling on paper, but she’s basically laughed out of every room where she presents her paper, until a seasoned journalist and professor named Spike (Matt Bogart, also a nice find of an actor) pays attention and helps pitch her thesis to a popular talk show host who latches onto the idea and wants her on the show first thing the next morning. This is great news for Grace, but it throws her for a loop because she all but has a nervous breakdown trying to get herself psyched up to go on camera in front of a national audience. While in the university library, Spike gives her an enthusiastic pep talk (leading to lots of “shhhh!” annoying library patrons trying to shush them) where they catch the attention of a free spirit hanging out in the library, a dancer named Diana (Lei Nico, giving the film’s sexiest performance), who immediately ingratiates herself into their space and joins in on their discussion. What follows next is a plunge into the surreal as Grace, Spike, and Diana begin exploring the potentials of the emotional, sexual, and political power dynamics between men and women, and during their discussion they’re immersed in a world of dreams, of dance, and theater as Grace grapples with the staggering responsibility she has to tell the story she’s stumbled into. But something unexpected happens: Spike begins to dominate and control her narrative, turning her reality into an uncomfortable parallel of the subject she’s quickly losing her thread and power over.
From co-writer Rob Ackerman and director Alan McIntyre Smith, Stargazer almost reminded me a little bit of a Peter Greenaway movie with its stark, dreamlike imagery and unconventional approach to telling its intriguing story that unfolds like a mysterious pop-up book with secret little tabs to pull that unveil more depth and layers than at first glance. The movie’s strong independent spirit is a real pull and viewers with an open mind and a penchant for discovering under the radar gems with a pulse and a vitality missing from so many mainstream, mass-market films will get a winner here. It celebrates feminism, it has a quirky soundtrack, and the performances are uniformly unexpected and solid, and it flies by at less than 90 minutes.
Stargazer will be released digitally and on demand on April 30th from Freestyle. Keep your eyes out for it.
