The Book of Stars

Mary Stuart Masterson is acclaimed poet turned dissolute night crawler Penny, who's been reduced to turning tricks to care for her chronically ill younger sister Mary (Jena Malone). Mary, a teenage shut-in who has been denied a normal childhood by her frail health, has collected all her hopes and dreams in an idyllic picture book she calls "The Book of Stars and Lovely Things," a tome she uses to try to lure Penny away from the high life. During the attempt, though, Mary's own life starts slipping away, forcing Penny to reflect not only on the error of her current ways, but on the impending loss of her beloved sister. The dying breathing life into the living is a hackneyed plotline by now, but Masterson and Malone manage to animate the material with solid, if at times cloying, performances, and a strong shared chemistry. Helping the film immensely is Karl Geary, who, in a haunting supporting performance as the mysterious Slavic refugee Kristjan, brings considerable depth to the whole undertaking. For its several strengths, as well as its unexpectedly moving ending, The Book of Stars, though less than stellar, is a strong optional purchase. (S. C. Sickles)