The Fault In Our Stars : Movie Review
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
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This story of the tragic love between two cancer-stricken teenagers ought to be excruciating. Given the subject matter, even explicit melodrama would have been acceptable. It should be passionate, captivating, and intriguing.
In contrast, despite having several scenes that are intended to make us cry, the movie adaptation of the best-selling book "The Fault in Our Stars" comes across as emotionally impassive. It might be because it tries so hard to hit us over the head and numb us instead of making us feel true. In director Josh Boone's adaptation of author John Green's tear-jerking, young adult phenomenon, there is generally something simply odd about it, including an awkwardness to the staging, framing, and pacing, as well as a desire to explain everything.
Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old Indianapolis girl who was diagnosed with cancer at age 13, is portrayed by Woodley in the film. She must always drag an oxygen tank behind her and stop to rest after climbing a flight of stairs since it weakens her lungs. Despite the dire circumstances she was in a few years ago, she was able to live an indefinitely longer life because of her involvement in a new medicine trial. She struggles to preserve some kind of teenage life while being supported by her parents, Laura Dern and Sam Trammell, who even share her passion for utilising dark humour to diffuse stressful situations. They have some great, honest moments together.
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Hazel must attend the monthly meetings of the cancer support group, per Mum (where comedian Mike Birbiglia is the amusingly earnest leader). Ansel Elgort, who coincidentally played Woodley's brother earlier this year in "Divergent," introduces her to the charming and gregarious Augustus Waters there. Cancer caused Augustus, a former high school basketball standout, to lose his right leg below the knee. He now walks with a prosthetic. He instantly sees a similar character in Hazel—a quick-witted smartass who doesn't take any of the sentimental cliches seriously.
Elgort comes out as stiff and uneasy in contrast to Woodley, who effortlessly navigates the complexity of Green's speech. In the beginning, his character is supposed to come across as a little arrogant and formal, but instead, he comes out as anxious, at times even appearing to hurry or mumble his words. Elgort is boyishly attractive (in a distracting way that makes Ryan O'Neal from the "Love Story" era come to mind), but he never quite exudes the charm needed to stay up with Woodley. That seems like a lost opportunity for them to be together.
Because Hazel and Augustus both enjoy reading, they decide to visit Amsterdam to track down the reclusive author of Hazel's favourite book, the fictional "An Imperial Affliction," which also happens to be about a young woman with cancer. In a movie that far too frequently feels neat, Willem Dafoe injects a spark of creepiness into the role of the alcohol-addled creator. Also, it lays the atmosphere for the most bizarre scene in both the book and the movie, which is when Hazel and Augustus share their first kiss in front of a cheering crowd of visitors in the attic of Anne Frank's house. Yeesh.
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But we are aware that this joy cannot remain. As a result, "The Fault in Our Stars" enters serious hanky territory with the help of an overwhelming soundtrack of melancholy alt-rock songs that instruct us on how and when to feel certain emotions.
Ideally, these iconoclasts wouldn't want their tales to be presented in such an overt or intrusive way. "Pain demands to be felt," goes a beloved quote from Hazel's favourite novel.
Wow it's amazing
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