FilmSnobReviews

Title: Set Fire to the Stars
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Director: Andy Goddard
Starring: Elijah Wood, Celyn Jones, Kelly Reilly
Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins

What It Is: A biographical account on Welsh poet Dylan Thomas’ (co-writer Jones) first visit to America during 1950. Thomas is a boorish alcoholic whose self-centered is only surpassed by his genius. His handler is a professor of poetry at a New York university John M. Brinnin (Wood) as a part of a reading tour. When it becomes clear Dylan has no interest outside of himself this makes John very angry and he begins to resent every decision he made about Dylan, including putting his neck on the line for this guy.

What We Think: First I’d like to praise the wonderful black and white cinematography. It made the film look gorgeous, and perhaps served as a more literal translation on Dylan Thomas’ character as a man. He like the film is very black and white. He gives the appearance of beauty, especially in his words, but in reality he is a man of struggle. This is something not explored enough. There’s a off scene in which Dylan opens a letter and we get some surrealism, but the film never sets that up beforehand so it never quite fits.

Our Grade: C-, It gets a passing grade for the two lead performances but from every other storytelling prespective it fails. There’s no “fleshing out” really of Brinnin by the narrative. Check this one out if your into biopics on poets, or want a sluggishly paced piece of art. Unfortunately unlike Thomas’ most iconic piece this picture goes very gently into that good night. That at the close of day this film showed no rage, rage, rage against the dying of the light. No this one goes without a whisper in to that abyss, hopefully it’ll never return.