The Fault in Our Stars

*Wondering what movies are coming out this June? Wondering how the month of May ended up? Check out my guest post over at J&J Productions, Coming Soon: June*

It's few and far between that I go to see romance movies anymore. Much like the horror genre, I really only dip into it when one movie in particular is getting stellar reviews. And much like the horror genre, the romance one is horribly clichéd most of the time.

But when I first starting hearing buzz about this book being turned into a movie, I noticed an excitement among fans who had read the material. They seemed to have a lot more confidence than usual that this movie would turn out decent. And then Shailene Woodley got attached to it and I was basically sold.

I was just not really prepared for what I was getting into.

You see, The Fault in Our Stars is the adaptation of a romantic novel...about two teenagers...with cancer. The heartstrings are already pulled somewhat from the moment the film starts and you know, given the usual cliché with this sort of story, that something really sad is going to happen at the end. So in that sense, The Fault in Our Stars was somewhat clichéd, but the path it took to get there was more professional than I have seen in the genre for a long time.

The very talented, Shailene Woodley

Some fabulous chemistry

The success of any romantic story is the chemistry of the leads. In this case, we are given Ms. Woodley as the main character, Hazel Grace, and Ansel Elgort as Agustus Waters. I am quite familiar with most of Woodley's work and part of the reason that I went to see this movie in the first place was how good she was in last year's The Spectacular Now. She has quickly emerged, right behind Jennifer Lawrence, as Hollywood's most talented "it-girl", and for good reason. She can act right beside some of the best of them. Ansel Elgort I was less familiar with, but he quickly won me over by perfectly capturing an exuberant teen's spirit. He is extremely talented himself and the chemistry between the two of them was nearly palpable. Not in the sense that you thought they wanted to jump each other's bones at any given moment, but that they, with all their hardships in a young life, really loved one another. It made their tender moments that much more heartwarming and it made their dramatic moments that much more devastating.

But also like the horror genre, their is a noticeable level of quality for each film. A cheap horror film is a cheap horror film and the same can be said for a cheap romance film. But it's very easy to spot when something is of a higher quality in the genre. The script sounds better, the cinematography is nicer, the original score and soundtrack is fitting, etc. The Fault in Our Stars accomplishes all of those with passing marks. While the original score was a tad underused, the soundtrack of selected songs was nearly perfect and each song fit the tone of the moment superbly. Once again, all these little things play into how connect we are as an audience. 

Ok Ansel. It was a medium joke at best...

I know that many ladies are already sold on going to this movie so I feel that my review has successfully praised the film enough to convince them to go. So I focus the rest of my review towards the men. The men who may be weary to go to this film because there aren't explosions or funny jokes. Trust me, at times, I am like that. But don't go to The Fault in Our Stars to please your girlfriend since she went with you to Amazing Spider Man 2, Godzilla, Neighbors, and X-Men last month, or because you might "get some" afterwards. Go to The Fault in Our Stars expecting to learn something. I know I sure did. Granted the characters are fictional, but let's be honest, their story could be real. I think the movie's message might mean different things for different people but for me it made me really just thank my lucky stars. Not out of pity for people, specifically kids, with cancer, but more so to be in awe of just how extremely lucky most of us are with the hand that we are dealt. The Fault in Our Stars has a lot to say about life and death, obviously, but I think what it says about appreciating what you have is its true accomplishment. As a guy, I found the likeability of the characters was what drew me in, but it was the film's message that will have a lasting impact on me.

Oh the feels!

There isn't much more I can say about The Fault in Our Stars...it's definitely an all around solid romantic film with a lot more weight and statements to make behind it than many have tried to do before it. A lot of hub-bub has been made about the amount of crying that goes on during its final act and it's true...it's sadder than hell. But its also beautifully done and the tears are well earned by the creators of the film. The cancer aspect of the story isn't a "gimmick" to trick tears out of you by any means, but instead acts as an anchor for what these two characters have to go through and what message the story is trying to get across.

I may never need to watch it again, but it should be stated that The Fault in Our Stars is a meaningful film, for both male and female, that is one of the very best that the often-clichéd genre has to offer.

CONS:

• A tad overlong and with the way it ends, it's all a bit exhausting emotionally
• It still dips into cliché territory regularly, but hey, at least they are well done

PROS:

• Fantastic chemistry between Woodley and Elgort. It's more "love" than "lust" between them and you can easily tell there is a deeper connection there
• A fantastic story that is hard to bear, but comes with several deeper messages that I think many will walk away with
• Woodley is a superstar now, there's just no denying it
• Elgort could be well on his way there
• Much like the story, the film is beautifully made. Good cinematography, good original score, great soundtrack...all lead to making a film that is as equally impressive as its characters
• The film earns its tears. I didn't find the path to get there all that gimmicky

Rath's Review Score: 9/10