Stars

The monochrome tones also help get across the perpetual gloom the subjects are sunk into, with the only optimism found in a lottery ticket or a plastic dope packet. Another element of classic New York underground is the outbursts of grotesque frankness that are such an ingrained part of the lower East Side scene. A great example is the song Rose and Dorrepaal sing on the street in the first part of the movie, “Walking the Streets of New York,” with lyrics by Braunstein. It is a jolly dual tribute and condemnation of the city, with I Love NY and F**k NY being sung together in the same breath. There are also crazy pieces of dialogue that fly out like snakes from peanut brittle cans, just like you used to hear outside downtown during the day. The production is crawling with the nostalgia of artistically elevated crassness.

That Stars is based on a play is blisteringly obvious from the first frame in the way the dialogue and monologues are presented. Stauffer’s genius location shots deftly deal with the inherent claustrophobia of stage adaptations. The acting style is the same that would be used onstage, with movements and emotions broadly displayed to reach the audience members in the back. While some viewers may feel this reduces the verisimilitude, preserving the stage production acting method increased the whole New York ambiance.

“…crawling with the nostalgia of artistically elevated crassness.”

Now there’s the matter of the piano score by Michael Cashmore. The constant tinkling to draw out the potential tears of a scene is so frequent it borders on parody. Maybe it’s intentional Sirkian melodrama being employed, which would be a very downtown move. Plus, the big twist stretches credibility further but ends up making statements and setting up a grand finale.

Keep your eyes out for a cameo by Michael Musto, a famous nightclub columnist for the Village Voice. This is precisely the film that will bring back memories of drinking malt liquor out of a bag in Tompkins Square Park for those that were there and still have such a memory. They don’t make movies like Stars anymore, which is why it is so exciting Roberge managed to resurrect that forgotten village vibe.