The Fault in Our Stars
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell
Directed By: Josh Boone
Reviewed by Danielle Muir
[rating: 4/5]
The Fault in Our Stars is about two young people, Hazel and Gus, who fall in love. Hazel has cancer, Gus had cancer. You know this can’t end well, you know it’s going to be devastating and you know that you’re going to cry. If this doesn’t sound like something you’d like to experience, then spare yourself. If it does, pack the necessary cocoa and a wad of tissues, and just let yourself be taken by this heartfelt story. Don’t overthink it.
Based on the bestselling book, the films tone draws parallels to other screen adaptions such as 2013’s Perks of Being a Wallflower – with vulnerable young leads finding themselves and falling in love in spite of their twisted situation. It’s certainly not an uplifting film, and you won’t leave feeling enlightened or wiser for it, but it is a decent drama that provokes the reaction intended.
Current ‘it’ girl Shailene Woodley plays lung-cancer afflicted Hazel, with up-and-comer Ansel Elgort stepping in as her love interest Gus – a survivor and amputee. They definitely have the sweet, innocent chemistry their story requires, and are both remarkable young actors, however Shailene looks much, much older than baby faced Ansel which is a niggling factor you can’t quite dismiss (especially as Hazel is meant to be 2 years younger than Gus). That said – these two actors, if you let them, will break your heart, over and over again in the space of 125 minutes, to their credit.
The film essentially takes us on a heartfelt adventure – not only through Gus and Hazel’s love story, but into Amsterdam as they track down Peter Van Houten (Willem Dafoe), the author of a book they mutually appreciate called An Imperial Affliction. It’s here that you can become overwhelmed by the plethora of disappointment and unfairness that seem to hang like a cloud over the two leads, but their relationship provides a spark of brightness.
The ‘twist’ that this reviewer had been warned of is guessable, suitably sad and signifies when the film really starts to walk the fine line of being too depressing. Of course, it’s a film based around serious themes, but in order for it to be watchable there does have to be some relief.
It’s not a film you’ll particularly want to see again, and if you really sit there and scrutinize the film, you’ll probably get annoyed at its tendency to be overly mushy – but this reviewer’s best advice is to throw your whole self into this story, and just accept it for what it is.
