The Starling Movie Review [Netflix India OTT]

The Starling is a decent effort if you are not looking for Oscar-winning performances. Not that Kevin Kline and Melissa McCarthy don't do a great job, they have performed rather well but yes, there are places where the movie fails to live up to its expectations. The story of a couple who is dealing with the loss of their child is told rather well. While Melissa has taken the quiet, let us not talk about it sort of approach, her husband turns suicidal and has to be admitted to a facility for mental wellness. The movie shows the massive difference between the approach the couple undertakes to deal with their sense of loss. Kevin Kline plays the aging vet and psychiatrist who does not preach much but believes that proper conversations can help such people find some closure. And closure is what they cannot find despite taking meds or chasing away the feisty bird that has invaded their backyard. The Starling is decent for the first 45 minutes or so but then fades away a bit. You feel that Kevin Kline could have been given a bit more room. You definitely feel that the angle where the recuperating bird represents second chances and forgiveness could have been explained a bit more. Again, the performances are good. You don't find one actor who does not fit the role here. The storytelling approach isn't bad either. You will find many movie critics giving a thumbs down to this movie but watch The Starling for the genuine effort it makes with real, human emotions. You will have not wasted your time. Can be a good watch for couples too! Watch it if you like a sensitive topic touched upon with a bit of grey humor. Not something you will want to revisit, this is not to be put on the permanent bookmark list but Melissa McCarthy and Kevin Kline create some moments of interesting conversations that you don't want to miss! Some people are calling it a typical Hallmark card type of movie but I think that is a bit too harsh. Yes, the CGI-generated birds were a bit of a letdown. But thankfully, the movie does not try to get cute or too elaborate with grief-struck emotions. A bit more effort could have meant lots of scenes that would have made some audiences cry but as a couple, the grieving husband and wife don't evoke such feelings. Strangely, the husband seems to have a very different accent too that I just could not catch. In patches, the movie does go a bit flat, you feel that the scenes were building up to something, and then, they just did not mature into something visually engaging. Recommended as a one-time watch. Try it for the performances, don't expect too much from the movie satisfying the inner, movie critic in you...