Review: The Fault in our Stars (2014)

Hey, yeah, so, funny story.  It seems that I LOVE The Fault in our Stars sooo much that I appear to have reviewed it TWICE!! The italics below are mine and Allie's way of communicating through the blog even though we send daily e-mails, facebook messages, whatsapp messages, normal messages and Twitter - what could one more medium hurt!!

Anyway, we decided between us that I might be funny to post this again (I get the feeling its a laugh at me type situation!) with our messages included - happy reading, again!

You know we've already review this, right? http://flick-chicks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/review-fault-in-our-stars-2014.html 

FFS - I keep searching to check we haven't already done them and this one I was adamant we hadn't so I didn't check - DAMN IT!!!!!!! I'm not adding pictures this time!

Second review attempt of The Fault in our Stars

I read this book in a day, thats how much I enjoyed it.  I couldn't put it down and ended up sitting on an airport (cold) marble floor, so that I could plug my Kindle in so I could continue reading when my battery died. I think at this point, we all understand how much you loved it!

Hazel Grace (Shailene Woodley) is forced to go to a cancer support group, where she meets Gus (Ansel Elgort) who not only makes the whole experience less rubbish but who she actually falls in love with.  Hazel's lung cancer measn she has to carry an oxygen tank everywhere she goes and Gus shows the pitfalls of surviving cancer with his prosthetic leg. I have such a strange case of deja vu right now...

I knew what was going to happen in this film, obviously having read the book but that didn't take away from it at all.  The characters really came to life from the book and Woodley and Elgort were the perfect choices for these star-crossed teenagers, I don't think anyone could have brought John Green's characters to life so well.  They manage to make it quirky over cringy and heartwarming instead of soppy, which is quite a feat with this subject.

It was pretty emotional to watch, particularly when you know the ending in advance but that doesn't tip my interest, in fact as you well know by now I love a good tear-jerker.  The supporting cast we're great as well, Hazel's parents played by Laura Dern and Sam Trammell, although completely outshone by their younger co-stars, did a great job as the 'grown-ups' trying to convince Hazel and Gus that they will only get hurt in the long run.

It doesn't show the gritty realism of the subject, the way 'My Sisters Keeper' type films have done in the past but sometimes its not all bad to sugar-coat some things.

You know, I'm just glad a second viewing (and reviewing!) hasn't changed your opinion. Do I need to rate this again too?!

Review: The Fault in Our Stars (2014)

I'm not normally into romance films. I need a nice side of comedy to keep me entertained. However, The Fault in Our Stars is a book I've been meaning to read for ages due to the hype, and when I realised it was being released as a film, I knew I needed to see it. Sadly, none of my friends would be up for it, but I managed to tag along with Jenna and her friend Lou last Sunday.

 

As the poster states, The Fault in Our Stars is based on a novel by John Green. It tells the tragic love story between Hazel Grace (Shailene Woodley) and Gus (Ansel Elgort), who met at a cancer support group.

I still hadn't read the book, and I had never seen the leading actors in anything before either so I went into the cinema completely open minded, and I was really impressed. The story dealt with such a sensitive and upsetting issue without getting over dramatic, and I was pleasantly surprised to find many moments of comic relief to lighten the mood. I was kept gripped from beginning to end, and although in my mind I thought I knew how it would end, I was wrong. I think I benefitted greatly from not having read the book yet.  I however read the book before hand (in 3 hours on a flight) and I was completely engrossed, I couldn't have put it down even if I wanted to. (Lucky this was the flight I mentioned in our NSFP post and I had a small child sat next to me so I was limited on film choices anyway!).  Having read the book I was so excited about the film and I have to say as adaptations go they have done a really good job.  Much of it played out exactly as I imagined in my head which is rare from book to screen.

Hazel Grace and Gus were inspiring characters to watch, and although I was a little cold towards Gus at first, I very quickly warmed to him due to his confidence and charm. Another highlight for me was the little effects when text messages were sent, it was a creative addition and I thought it really tied in well with the teenage theme. Some of the lines were a little cheesy of course, but my understanding is that they're direct quotes from the book.  Yes there were lots of direct quotes from the book which I noticed and I thought they (although a little cheesy) a great way to ensure the film was true to the book.

These are my kind of films, I loved My Sisters Keeper and I sob like a child every time but I love getting so engrossed in a film that you actually cry, not shed a little tear here and there but actually cry (including snot, load sobs and many many tears).  Maybe it's a kind of release (as I have a habit of not crying at anything in real life!) or maybe I just like to torture myself with weepy films when I know i'm going to end up a blubbering mess - who knows!!

This was a heart-breaking but beautiful film to watch, and I encourage anyone who has any doubts to give this a try. I'm also looking forward to seeing more of Shailene Woodley, as she was fantastic in this.

Great film, really close to the book which I loved.  Thanks to both sides of the coin being present in our review whether you have read the book or not we would recommend you see it.