The Fault In Our Stars (2014)

4.9/5

The film adaptation of John Green's The Fault In Our Stars is an extraordinarily faithful adaptation. Having read the book just months prior to seeing the movie, I am impressed by how much the characters and actions on screen matched my own vision for them. It delivers all the melodramatic heartbreak and sentimental tearjerking you would expect from a book about two kids with cancer who fall in love. Neither Hazel (Woodley) nor Gus (Elgort) look particularly Hollywood-attractive, but their on-screen chemistry is undeniable. However, despite how perfect they are for each other, fate conspires to pull them apart. The story is more than a little bit emotionally manipulative, but it is tragically sweet and hits all the right notes. Everything just feels so ... lovely and tender.

While overly sensational and extravagantly "young adult," the story is attempting at something more than simply pulling at the heartstrings of America's youth. It touches on a multitude of topics, but the most impenetrable one to me revolves around literature, the creation of stories, and the way we project our own qualities on others. Willem Dafoe plays Van Houten, the author of Hazel's favorite book. His contribution to the story is both confusing and infuriating, but his unclear motivations and his abrupt exit are some of the most profound aspects to the story. His presence is both unusual and unsettling and makes me like the movie all that much more.

This movie is not for everyone--in fact, it may feel a bit childish or immature to some--but for those who fall under its spell, it is spectacular.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2582846/

The Spectacular Now (2013)

2/5

The Spectacular Now is a depressing and infuriating film. It stars Miles Teller as an alcoholic high school student who has confidence and charisma but no plans or hopes for his future. After being dumped by his "hot" girlfriend (Larson), he befriends an "unattractive" girl (Woodley) and she is smitten by his charms. They begin a romance that everybody around them knows is bad for both of them. Instead of some introspection, they just keep chugging along and enjoying the oh-so-spectacular moment.

I'm not really sure what the point of the movie is. It presents itself as a coming-of-age tale but nobody actually learns anything or comes of age. It's frustrating and painful to watch. Shailene Woodley gives a superb performance, emanating high school vulnerability as she is drawn to the debonair Teller, who also gives a stunning performance. But the rest of the technical aspects of the movie are either mediocre or subpar. Underage alcohol consumption in films should come with consequences, and this movie all but pretends there are none. (Or there are some, but then it gives the characters "second chances" without anybody learning anything.)

And just to complain some more: I'm still not clear why there needs to be any voice-over, at any point during this movie, given the fact that there is nothing particularly insightful that needs to be passed on to the audience. By the way, the college essay motif has been so entirely overplayed that it is hard to imagine that even an amazing movie could bring something new to the table. Avoid this movie, unless you're a rabid fan of Woodley and/or Teller's acting.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1714206/

The Descendants (2011)

4.9/5

Alexander Payne's The Descendants is a phenomenal film. The plot is filled with human complexities that are so intricately woven together that attempting to summarize it would do the film a disservice. To be brief: Matt King (Clooney) is in the middle of selling a large plot of Hawaiian land when his wife (Hastie) falls into a vegetative state after a boating accident. He has to take care of his two daughters, Alex (Woodley) and Scottie (Miller), while telling their friends and family that his wife is to be taken off life support. There is so much more here, but I don't want to make the story seem simpler than it is with my rudimentary retellings, nor do I want to ruin the experience of discovery and involvement.

The film effortlessly walks the line between comedy and tragedy with a heartbreaking script and breathtakingly honest performances. (Not to mention unparalleled medical accuracy for a Hollywood film.) It is reminiscent of Payne's earlier film Sideways, juxtaposing opposite moods like Wes Anderson but in a more muted and mature fashion. On the whole, the movie feels authentic and believable despite those sometimes acute shifts in tone. This is the result of a script that is precise and articulate, and a director who can lift the words off the page and pull the truth out of his actors. Clooney gives one of his best performances ever. He exudes vulnerability, strength, wisdom, naïveté, charisma, and ugliness in equal parts, painting a picture of a desperate man searching for meaning in the face of death. He pulls at our heartstrings with such ferocity that I feared they might break. I'm surprised I didn't cry during the film's final tender scenes.

The movie occasionally missteps, but I won't belabor its minor faults. This movie is both fascinating and enjoyable, a testament to the human experience, and I cannot wait to watch it again.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1033575/