2023 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
A little girl is excited to celebrate her birthday with her parents–there’s only one issue, she’s passed away. Naturally (or supernaturally), now a Starling, she travels back to earth to be with her parents and to celebrate her big day. She travels the world, seeing both its beauty and its troubles–and when she reaches her parents, she finds something beautiful. Together they share a moment, a moment so unearthly and powerful–one that will bring you to your knees.
No dialogue, none at all–providing these filmmakers one less opportunity to reach viewers and to develop emotion. While that may seem like a handicap, while that may initially seem like something that would set the film back–that’s not the case, as it allows the film to better showcase the powerful visuals and the impressive narrative present in Starling.
The animation is superb, and it allows the film and its story to come to life from the opening moments. Starling uses simplicity in its animation to tell a story and to hone in on emotion from the start of the film. While viewers don’t necessarily see all of the emotion on the faces of the characters on screen, what they are able to understand as a result of the simplicity are the things that matter. Everything that’s important to the film and to the narrative floats in the foreground, and those menial things, possessions and such, remain plain and insignificant in the background. It’s clear that the artists tasked with bringing this story to life were meticulous in their craft–and they ultimately become the catalysts for everything that happens throughout the course of Starling.
Small sounds also work to bring out the important things present in Starling. As a viewer I look to these small, familiar things to help the story resonate with me, to make sense and to allow me to access the film’s content. I need these familiar sounds to be present in the film, I need simplicity and honesty–and that’s exactly what Starling provides. Never does a moment pass that viewers aren’t able to access what is occurring in the film, never does a moment pass when something familiar doesn’t make its way to the front of the film and remind us of our own lives. It’s this attention to detail that allows Starling to thrive.
It’s a fact that Starling will tug at your heartstrings, that the content present in the film would have been enough to reach viewers even without the precision of the filmmakers. The story itself is brilliant, touching, heartbreaking, and a million other things. As the film starts and viewers see parents grieving their young daughter, viewers know that they are in for a challenging film, one that will force them to relive the daunting realities of their own lives–and that couldn’t be more true. The story and its message are beautiful, and they are sure to resonate with viewers around the world.
There’s no hiding the fact that Starling is emotionally driven, at that the story is enough to propel it forward. However, the attention to detail in things like sound and animation propel it to new heights and allow every ounce of meaning to be squeezed out of it, flooding the hearts of viewers everywhere. It’s clear the expertise that this team possesses, but what’s even more obvious is how passionate they are about their craft–and Starling flourishes at every turn.
Written & Directed by Mitra Shahidi.
Starring Mitra Shahidi.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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