Monday, August 18, 2014

The fault in our stars—movie

Sunday I saw a movie--rare for me. "The Fault In Our Stars" about 2 teens who have terminal cancer who fall in love after meeting at a support group. I'd never heard of the main actors, Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, but they both did a wonderful job. The book on which it is based won the 2013 Teen Book of the Year at the Children’s Choice Book Awards, and I think I saw more teens than adults in the theater (but there were only about 15 of us). Reviews are mixed.  On the one hand, some say it follows the books closely; others say Woodley was good but Elgort wasn’t (I thought he was perfect).  It’s a very sad topic; love, even teen love, doesn’t solve everything.

Hazel and Gus are two teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them on a journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous given that Hazel's other constant companion is an oxygen tank, Gus jokes about his prosthetic leg, and they met and fell in love at a cancer support group. IMDb

A reviewer (not a paid critic) writes: “From the moment the title sequence starts, I was hooked straight away. Scene to scene this movie just manages to suck me into this beautiful world of Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters. The chemistry between Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elsort is astounding and the performances were astonishing. Honestly, this is the best movie I have seen all year, even better than Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Godzilla which was a massive surprise. I just thought this was going to be another teenie love story and boy was I wrong. I loved this movie and recommend it to everyone across all ages”

Another wrote: “I'm always skeptical about watching the words of my favorite books transformed and materialized on the big screen... but TFIOS stayed true to the book. The movie was absolutely lovely from beginning to end. The young actors were great. The comedy hit on all the right notes, the romance made your heart smile and the tragedy pulled at your heart strings. It really was a wonderful adaptation, and I believe it stayed as true to the book as possible without many changes where there were any. The minute it was over, I wanted to watch it again. Upon leaving the theater, I looked around and there was not one dry eye. Not even the men. If you are a big fan of the book, like myself... and are skeptical about whether this stays true. Don't be. Kudos the John Green on his first film adaptation. It was an absolute success. I'd give it a 10 out of 10 if I could... but I don't believe in "perfect."

But $7.00 is still outrageous for a movie!

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