‘The Fault in Our Stars’: Movie review


1

RATING: 3/5.

Strong performances elevate a highly melodramatic, yet heartfelt story of young love in bloom during the terminal stages of life in The Fault in Our Stars.

 

The film begins with an apology that this is not like those other generic “I’ve got cancer” weepies (My Sister’s Keeper, etc). It is an apology of half-truths. Based on the bestselling novel by John Green and directed by Josh Boone, The Fault in Our Stars still has that Hallmark sheen known to these kinds of movies, that tend to keep the audience at arms-length.

 

Thankfully it also has the prolific, magnetic Shailene Woodley. She stars as Hazel Grace Lancaster, a terminally ill cancer sufferer with an oxygen tank as constant company and a cynical, no BS attitude towards life.

 

That changes when she meets Augustus Waters, a cancer survivor with a shiny outlook on life. As played by Ansel Elgont (who also portrayed Woodley’s brother in the sci-fi thriller Divergent) at times he can be overwhelming to the point of being unbearable, that smug confidence and beaming smile slightly creepy at first, yet settles when next to Woodley’s more grounded portrayal as Hazel.

 

A romance develops between the two, but at a much slower pace than expected, with a strong foundation created between the pair that strengthens the inevitable smooches and declarations of love to follow.

 

That both Hazel and Augustus are established as individuals first with conflicting philosophies and attitudes is a strong point in this adaptation written by Scott Nuestadter and Michael C. Weber (who also adapted the stronger teen love story The Spectacular Now, which also starred Woodley).

 

It is Woodley’s performance that stands out the most. This is an impressive young actor who has conviction in her vast emotional range, and also has that rare ability to elevate material that would otherwise lay dormant.

 

Good to is Laura Dern as Hazel’s mother, whose silent suffering at her daughter’s fragile mortality is masked by a positive disposition that’s heartbreakingly portrayed.

 

Of course being the teen melodrama that it is many moments do irritate, mostly revolved around Augustus’s theatrical personality and that sickly sweet sheen that robs the film of some much needed grittiness in regards to cancer and its messy, fatal results.

 

Yet while The Fault in Our Stars can be overbearingly schlocky at times, it is also an emotionally heartfelt film, especially in regards to the central romance that is sure to make the target audience swoon.

 

BY HARSHVARDHAN SINGH.

 


Like it? Share with your friends!

1
harsh

A fan of art,cinema,music and whatever is beautiful. currently a student. Creativity and innovation always draws me towards it. i am the one who reads books,hears music take pictures explore places and does whatever gives peace and pleasure and shares it .

4 Comments


Warning: Undefined array key "html5" in /home/bmsnewco/public_html/wp-content/plugins/facebook-comments-plugin/class-frontend.php on line 140

Facebook comments:

This Website Is For Sale. Email us an offer we cannot refuse on [email protected] :)

X
Choose A Format
Personality quiz
Series of questions that intends to reveal something about the personality
Trivia quiz
Series of questions with right and wrong answers that intends to check knowledge
Poll
Voting to make decisions or determine opinions
Story
Formatted Text with Embeds and Visuals
List
The Classic Internet Listicles
Countdown
The Classic Internet Countdowns
Open List
Submit your own item and vote up for the best submission
Ranked List
Upvote or downvote to decide the best list item
Meme
Upload your own images to make custom memes
Video
Youtube and Vimeo Embeds
Audio
Soundcloud or Mixcloud Embeds
Image
Photo or GIF
Gif
GIF format