Brightest Star, has all the trappings of a contemporary romantic comedy, but also the good sense to strive for a deeper examination of a young man’s search for his place in the universe.
So terminally bland is Brightest Star’s protagonist (played by Chris Lowell) that screenwriters Maggie Kiley (who also directed) and Matthew Mullen couldn’t be tasked to provide him with a name — the closing credits refer to him simply as The Boy.
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Village VoiceSherilyn Connelly
Village VoiceSherilyn Connelly
It's either much smarter and more profound than it's letting on, or it doesn't add up to anything at all. Or maybe both — it's all relative.
40
The DissolveAndrew Lapin
The DissolveAndrew Lapin
The chief problem is that no matter what the nameless dude is up to, it hardly seems to matter.
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RogerEbert.com
RogerEbert.com
Lack of specificity in the writing aside, the opening of Brightest Star — which had its title changed, to no avail, from "Light Years" — tells the viewer loud and clear that this trek is not going to lead anyplace new.