Film review: The Fault in our Stars
Tuesday, July 01, 2014
I write this review fresh from the cinema, tear-stained face, red eyes and all. The thing is, The Fault in our Stars is one of those films where you walk into the light of the real world beyond the screen, still filled with emotion and breathlessness. This is something I'm excited to write about, with the film still very raw in my recent memory. I mean, for ages we've all heard critics raving about how wonderful the book is, but seeing how that is translated onto the big screen is a whole other story. (I've tried to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, but if you're reading this and debating whether or not to see the film, go see that first then come back soon!)
The Fault in our Stars is a film adaptation of John Green's bestselling novel, all about living and dying, and the love story of 16 year old Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters. She's a thyroid cancer patient who recognises that her time is limited, and he's now cancer-free following a leg amputation. I read TFIOS only several weeks ago, and this was after months and months of repeatedly being recommended it but still putting it off. I guess you could say I am part of the target audience of this book/film, and you'd be absolutely right. I felt all the emotions the author John Green (subtly) poured into the soul of the book and their protagonists Hazel and Augustus. The characters, despite their tragic experiences with cancer, offer a refreshing view to such an often-taboo subject. He's a leather jacket sporting guy, whose refusal to light a cigarette is poignant. Written as a confident, good-looking and optimistic teenager, he lifts the main character, Hazel Grace Lancaster, into a place filled with metaphors and wisdom beyond their years.
Ansel Elgort was not how I initially imagined Augustus after reading the book, but I was completely won over by his performance in the film. It's so easy to believe that he is crazy in love with Hazel; an Ansel smile and those puppy dog eyes are all it takes (am I being a little biased here?). The film revolves around the two individuals, as well as their relationship, and Augustus is so much more than a pretty-faced love interest. Ansel captures the likeable essence of Gus, from the intelligent humour and take on life, to the vulnerabilities. And of course there's the incredible performance from Shailene Woodley in yet another remarkable role. Again, writing from a fan-of-the-book perspective, I couldn't have thought up a better translation from script to screen. From a critical point of view too, she's spot on. From the quips, the stand-off with "douche-pants" Peter van Houten, the "little infinities" speech (which had me in hysterics) to the tears which never give away fabrication of any sort. The chemistry between the two is more than believable. In a world where films about teenage romance are literally everywhere, this is an example of where teenage romance is so genuine, and you're rooting for them not just because the director wants you to. Both actors arguably have their stars on the rise. They're like a rollercoaster that keeps going up....
Hazel's narratives in the film work well to include Hazel's musings in the book. They're littered here and there but not powerful enough to detract from what's going on, plus there's something awfully honest in Woodley's voice alone. For example, "I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once." What a bloomin' good metaphor. Readers of TFIOS will recognise passages word-for-word, and then realise that the film is actually (unlike many others) very faithful to the original material. It works; it's complete, like putting a face to a name. There are minor changes I observed (namely the ex-girlfriend, a few minor characters, and a slight technicality with the ending), but nothing too extreme or controversial. The supporting characters, particularly Isaac and Hazel's parents, are also well cast with the flawed mother-daughter relationship being surprisingly human and real.
I can't complete this review without a brief comment on the soundtrack. This includes a nice accreditation for Vivaldi, and other more-popularised tracks such as Charli XCX's Boom Clap, Kodaline's All I Want (which has me on the edge of tears when I hear it on a happy day), and obviously the credits song All of the Stars by Ed Sheeran. They all offer an emotion, whether joy or heartbreak, in perfect harmony with the film.
I won't go on about the emotional side to it. It's a film about cancer, it's a well-known tearjerker, and most people go in with an inkling (or full knowledge) of what's going to happen. Yet there's still something about the combination of everything (the simplicity of the filmmaking, the music, the acting) which delivers the punch harder than you're expecting it.
Of course I can't comment on the perspective of those watching without having read the book, which I expect would have been many. Since I like the novel, and made references to it in order to fill in any gaps, I was able to let things slide - like the way Gus is so into her before they've even met, with the whole eye contract across the room thing, and so idealistically upfront about it. Is that realistic, or is that just my hopeless romantic side wishing wistfully? Ok, making out in the Anne Frank House is not a clever idea (but the readings of the diary in the background make it make sense), and the Peter van Houten/An Imperial Affliction part is probably not explained well enough to those who have no idea who Anna is.
TFIOS is by no means a perfect film, but I do think the essence of the book was captured well, the acting brought the characters to life, and I was more than satisfied as a reader watching a film adaptation of a good book. Ok, so the "girl meets boy and they fall in love story but there's a twist" is a little predictable and I understand if viewers find it all a bit cheesy. But if you can see past that, you can witness a beautifully-told celebration of defying the things that threaten you, the fragility of living and more importantly, the magic and honesty of falling in love for the first time, and living in the face of dying.
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