I taught middle school for 43 years and watched as groups of girls developed these cliques. It generally was created by a single girl whose family had money and a boatload of permissiveness. There were the usual toadies, the hangers on, who followed these girls around. They were give their power by the others in the school. This captured a bit of it.
17 Reviews
Sofia Coppola telling the world what she's concerned about in 13 minutes. Not bad!
Quinoa198431 December 2022
In brief... some critics had issues with The Bling Ring, like that was Sofia Coppola going in a more shallow stylistically/character-based way about that material. If anything, she may have just been going back to her roots that were already on display in Lick the Star. When a Clique is formed, you better watch out, boys and girls! In this case, there's a "plot" that these girls get from, of all things, Flowers in the Attic (who hasn't), and they're going to poison a boy (or boys) at school. Because... Kill the Rats or some metaphor for Destruction due to privileged boredom.
This is all delivered in a very flat and affected style by these young performers. It's not something I find all that satisfying on a character level, because Coppola is cutting so quickly from one girl to the next that there's no time to develop anyone. It's like a lot of cut-out sketches of teenage girl ennui, and maybe she thought if things were light in the script direction and editing could take center stage to keep things moving along (and god I wish there was more time with Bogdanovich for the principal - guess she got a favor). And there's a slow-motion shot of the girl Chloe as she walks into school that's cool.
Ultimately though, this attention to how rotten a group gets as soon as they congregate and conspire (and then fall on their proverbial faces) is not that far removed from Bling Ring (or to an extent Virgin Suicides). On one hand Coppola would get far richer performances with a more assured grasp of tone and emotion tthere. On the other, as a short burst of inspired teenage s***head shenanigans shot in 16mm black and white as a quasi Student Effort with the backing of Father Francis... not bad.
This is all delivered in a very flat and affected style by these young performers. It's not something I find all that satisfying on a character level, because Coppola is cutting so quickly from one girl to the next that there's no time to develop anyone. It's like a lot of cut-out sketches of teenage girl ennui, and maybe she thought if things were light in the script direction and editing could take center stage to keep things moving along (and god I wish there was more time with Bogdanovich for the principal - guess she got a favor). And there's a slow-motion shot of the girl Chloe as she walks into school that's cool.
Ultimately though, this attention to how rotten a group gets as soon as they congregate and conspire (and then fall on their proverbial faces) is not that far removed from Bling Ring (or to an extent Virgin Suicides). On one hand Coppola would get far richer performances with a more assured grasp of tone and emotion tthere. On the other, as a short burst of inspired teenage s***head shenanigans shot in 16mm black and white as a quasi Student Effort with the backing of Father Francis... not bad.
Teenage Angst Coppola Style
akoaytao123427 March 2024
Lick the Star tells the story of a girl, who after some accident, found herself at odds with her cool girl clique. When she saw an opportunity, she spread damaging rumors that broke free the clique but results to their friend being ostracized by their school AND her turning the table right at her.
This is probably the world that Sofia is most knowable of. Its the cool girl eats her cake kind of aesthetic that she tends to really draw herself towards BUT with I tingle of punk aesthetics. Its an interesting style that she went away from her feature films.
This is probably the most I felt that was alive and active in her filmmaking till she'll make Mary Antoinette. There is a weird indifference and isolation in her films that tends to just be sitting on that dries my eyes out. I wish she pursues this style more to be honest.
Good short.
This is probably the world that Sofia is most knowable of. Its the cool girl eats her cake kind of aesthetic that she tends to really draw herself towards BUT with I tingle of punk aesthetics. Its an interesting style that she went away from her feature films.
This is probably the most I felt that was alive and active in her filmmaking till she'll make Mary Antoinette. There is a weird indifference and isolation in her films that tends to just be sitting on that dries my eyes out. I wish she pursues this style more to be honest.
Good short.
Kill The Rats
sparklecat13 November 2004
Sofia Coppola's 1998 short film "Lick the Star" is about a group of 7th grade mean girls who devise a bizarre plan to "make the boys weak" with arsenic. While that may sound strange, "Lick the Star" actually comes closer to the truth about junior high cliques than one might expect. Early scenes of the girls flaunting their new secret plan to the uninitiated are particularly powerful.
The short was shot at a real life junior high school and it shows, but its inky black-and-white visuals lend it a rather surreal beauty. That many scenes are accompanied by a fitting soundtrack of jangly girl-group rock is an added bonus. "Lick the Star" makes an agreeable 15 minutes or so, to say the least.
The short was shot at a real life junior high school and it shows, but its inky black-and-white visuals lend it a rather surreal beauty. That many scenes are accompanied by a fitting soundtrack of jangly girl-group rock is an added bonus. "Lick the Star" makes an agreeable 15 minutes or so, to say the least.
Reasonable; a quick jolt of feeling...
Hasek7 June 1999
Well, I must say, I initially found this short to be quite average, but having watched it nearly 5 times since (its constantly shown on IFC), I've developed an enjoyment of the simple plot elements and reality of the situations presented. Sofia Coppola contributes a solid addition to the category.
A Small But Illuminating Short Film from Sofia Coppola
thevoid9920 October 2003
While it's a small film often shown on IFC, "Lick the Star" is an excellent, illuminating film shot in black & white by Lance Acord (who also worked with Coppola in her masterpiece "Lost in Translation" about a young 7th grade queen who becomes outcasted by her peers. Like "Lost in Translation" and "The Virgin Suicides", the theme of disconnection is predominant throughout the whole film. How a young girl is like a snob with all of her friends and one of them turns on her and in the process, things go to hell for the young woman. The film has an excellent soundtrack as well. For those who loved her full-length features, "Lick the Stars" is a must-see for any fan of Sofia Coppola who will be a director that will amaze us all.
What school girls do
Horst_In_Translation8 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"Lick the Star" is an American 14-minute short film from the year 1998, so this one will have its 20th anniversary soon. The writer and director here is the very young Sofia Coppola (in her 20s, before directing full feature films) and it is a black-and-white movie. Coppola's "Lost in Translation" is an all-time favorite of me (see the name), but I must say I am not really impressed by "Lick the Star". It's a depiction of high school life from the female perspective basically, some intrigues, some fun, some stupidity etc. I did not really care for the girls themselves or for the girls as a group. Sometimes I even struggled to understand who is who as I was not familiar with the actresses. Coppola got Peter Bogdanovich to act in here, most known cast member, and other than him some not too famous actors, some of them family of more known people from film like Coppola herself of course. As a whole, I give this one a thumbs-down. Sadly nothing stands out.
Excellent Short Film
fbunton4 November 2000
This film reminds all of us over 20 what a pretentious and callous world revolves around the average junior high school student. In this case, an attractive and popular female teen exhorts a group of her peers to embark on a mission to poison certain boys in her class. After an initial period of bonding, the group forms a club of secrecy which revolves around a tattoo with a very special meaning, and with a sufficient dose of prodding from the leader, they set out to accomplish the mission. However, they soon find that there is no such thing as a secret amongst students in a junior high school. Filmed in black and white this movie is well directed and never lacks for maintaining ones interest.
A fantastic b&w short
MLCromwell13 July 2005
As an avid watcher of IFC's Short Film Collection, I rarely see a short film that sticks with me after I have changed the channel. Sofia Coppola's 'Lick the Star' is the only exception to my nearly daily ritual. It is pitch perfect on showing the way teenagers lose interest in true friendship and begin sharing the same brain and thinking the same thoughts.
It's shot in a haunting black and white and uses a fantastic array of music that added to the emotion of the movie. Overall it was a great short film that would be great to own.
This film was made before Coppola won an Academy-Award winner but after her also disturbing-girl-coming-of-age story The Virgin Suicides. You can see the greatness of this film simply on how it's directed, with honesty and devotion that Coppola always brings to her films.
A must-see.
It's shot in a haunting black and white and uses a fantastic array of music that added to the emotion of the movie. Overall it was a great short film that would be great to own.
This film was made before Coppola won an Academy-Award winner but after her also disturbing-girl-coming-of-age story The Virgin Suicides. You can see the greatness of this film simply on how it's directed, with honesty and devotion that Coppola always brings to her films.
A must-see.
From Queen of Seventh Grade to outcast is but a slip away.
Havan_IronOak17 May 2003
Cruelty seems an innate skill in this story of junior high school girls. The cliques and the cruel plots and schemes that girls (and boys) can be prone to in that period between when they first start coming into their power as individuals and have yet to develop the emotional maturity that enables the responsibility that comes with power.
Ramblings of an adamant fan
AmbericanBeauty23 July 2002
I have been quoting this movie for years!!
All in all, it has an intensely intuitive message that works not only in the context of this short film about the chaos of adolescence, but in the context of every human interaction I've ever witnessed...
Everything changes, Nothing changes. The Tables Turn and Life Goes On.
All in all, it has an intensely intuitive message that works not only in the context of this short film about the chaos of adolescence, but in the context of every human interaction I've ever witnessed...
Everything changes, Nothing changes. The Tables Turn and Life Goes On.
Sofia Coppola's Lick the Star (1998)
TheDelusionist12 June 2013
Chloe (Audrey Kelly) is the school's 'queen bee' obsessed with Virginia Andrews' Flowers in the Attic. Bored with school and somewhat annoyed with the immature boys her age, she and the girls in her clique start scheming something strange. Lick the star is the name of their 'extra- scholastic' project involving the boy's lunches, rat poison and raw eggs. However before Chloe is able to carry out her evil plan some false rumors about her are spread around school. All of a sudden she's not the 'superstar' anymore, but the one being bullied. Sick of being made fun of, she decides to go the melodramatic route trying to end her life.
Shot in 16 millimeter crispy clean, beautiful bright black and white by Lance Acord, that went on to collaborate with Sofia Coppola more notably on Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette; Lick the Star is Coppola's first 'solo' director credit. Many of Sofia's directorial and writing trademarks and themes are already present in what's only her second short film. Just like with every feature film, Sofia has consistently experimented with different visual styles to fit her stories. Working and casting friends and family, her brother Roman behind the camera, her cousin Robert Schwartzman in an acting role and Zoe Cassavetes in both, this working approach reinforces the notion that all of Sofia's films are passion projects.
It's her thoughtfulness and attention to detail that makes them so enjoyable and endlessly re- watchable. It's all in the little, exquisite touches: Like shooting 'on location' (R.L.S. Junior High), a killer shoegaze soundtrack (especially the last track) and a cameo by director Peter Bogdanovich himself (as the principal). Lick the Star is all about 'teen angst' and what it means to be a teenager. Sofia really understands the subject matter and is more than capable to transmit emotion and recreating a specific time and place. Coppola's unique vision comes from her courage to paint a genuinely innocent, naïve and very 'girly' picture, that she went on exploring in her next film The Virgin Suicides. Her offbeat humor, poetic flair and fascination with the idea of celebrity, also already come to the forefront in this authentic, cute and super-sweet short film.
Shot in 16 millimeter crispy clean, beautiful bright black and white by Lance Acord, that went on to collaborate with Sofia Coppola more notably on Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette; Lick the Star is Coppola's first 'solo' director credit. Many of Sofia's directorial and writing trademarks and themes are already present in what's only her second short film. Just like with every feature film, Sofia has consistently experimented with different visual styles to fit her stories. Working and casting friends and family, her brother Roman behind the camera, her cousin Robert Schwartzman in an acting role and Zoe Cassavetes in both, this working approach reinforces the notion that all of Sofia's films are passion projects.
It's her thoughtfulness and attention to detail that makes them so enjoyable and endlessly re- watchable. It's all in the little, exquisite touches: Like shooting 'on location' (R.L.S. Junior High), a killer shoegaze soundtrack (especially the last track) and a cameo by director Peter Bogdanovich himself (as the principal). Lick the Star is all about 'teen angst' and what it means to be a teenager. Sofia really understands the subject matter and is more than capable to transmit emotion and recreating a specific time and place. Coppola's unique vision comes from her courage to paint a genuinely innocent, naïve and very 'girly' picture, that she went on exploring in her next film The Virgin Suicides. Her offbeat humor, poetic flair and fascination with the idea of celebrity, also already come to the forefront in this authentic, cute and super-sweet short film.
A nice experimental piece, i think
guachumara6 January 2004
On my opinion this short film is very representative of it's time and depicts clearly a state of mind in which the characters are. Acting and photography may look nahive o little elaborated but i think it's very well blended in this particular style of filmmaking.
Sofia Coppola has a very unique style which is proved by her following, "The virgin's Suicides". Seems to me that it's almost a documentary, always an up close view of whats going on. It's not only the story, but how is told, and Coppola has a great personal, intimate style that i feel as being a truly femenine capacity, to tell stories not only with action but by declaring mood stages, contextual plots and settings to make the story much more credible.
I really enjoyed this short piece, i saw it before the "virgin's..." so I strongly recommend to watch this film to see a less "pinky-tender" side of Coppola.
Sofia Coppola has a very unique style which is proved by her following, "The virgin's Suicides". Seems to me that it's almost a documentary, always an up close view of whats going on. It's not only the story, but how is told, and Coppola has a great personal, intimate style that i feel as being a truly femenine capacity, to tell stories not only with action but by declaring mood stages, contextual plots and settings to make the story much more credible.
I really enjoyed this short piece, i saw it before the "virgin's..." so I strongly recommend to watch this film to see a less "pinky-tender" side of Coppola.
Out of date, confusing
scarletminded16 April 2004
Warning: Spoilers
May contain spoilers.
I didn't really understand this film short. It was filmed well in its black and white grainy glory.
I came into the short a few minutes in but I didn't know why the girls were trying to poison someone. The Chloe started making a lot of Flowers in the Attic references. Who is in junior high and still reads that book or watches the movie...it is about 10 years out of date. It didn't seem like they would be into something like that.
Then, all of a sudden, it turned very fast. I didn't understand the other girls motivation why she ratted on her friend or why people saying, "lick the star" to her would make her have to change her phone number and cause her stress. Wouldn't it be a bigger problem in her school if her teachers thought she planned to murder someone? In this day of kids bringing guns to school, it didn't seem realistic.
At the end, Chloe shrugs it off, writing one of the worst poems (could it even be stated as a poem?) and walks away from the camera.
Other than having a good soundtrack, I have no idea why this gets shown on IFC all the time when other lesser known people could have their shorts shown. I have no idea, other than nepotism, why Coppola gets so much attention for her films. They are ok, worth a watch, but aren't that memorable.
I didn't really understand this film short. It was filmed well in its black and white grainy glory.
I came into the short a few minutes in but I didn't know why the girls were trying to poison someone. The Chloe started making a lot of Flowers in the Attic references. Who is in junior high and still reads that book or watches the movie...it is about 10 years out of date. It didn't seem like they would be into something like that.
Then, all of a sudden, it turned very fast. I didn't understand the other girls motivation why she ratted on her friend or why people saying, "lick the star" to her would make her have to change her phone number and cause her stress. Wouldn't it be a bigger problem in her school if her teachers thought she planned to murder someone? In this day of kids bringing guns to school, it didn't seem realistic.
At the end, Chloe shrugs it off, writing one of the worst poems (could it even be stated as a poem?) and walks away from the camera.
Other than having a good soundtrack, I have no idea why this gets shown on IFC all the time when other lesser known people could have their shorts shown. I have no idea, other than nepotism, why Coppola gets so much attention for her films. They are ok, worth a watch, but aren't that memorable.
similarities?
aqua4fire00717 February 2004
i never saw this film until after i saw sophia coppola's new film "Thirteen". They are very similar. They're both interesting, modern accounts of teenage girls. Moving to a degree and i think for the most part very well acted considering these are very young actresses and actors playing very emotionally unstable characters.
underaged girls = drama
benier6 March 2003
what a captivating little short. Pedophillically (if you will) captured by cinematographer Lance Accord ( Adaptation, Being John Malkovich (1999) and Buffalo '66), this otherwise puerile, syllogical bore looks pretty tempting. Young, unknown Audrey Heaven has something. Sofia rocks. And thats about as deep as this commentary gets ...
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