Synopsis: Hazel and Gus are two teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them on a journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous given that Hazel's other constant companion is an oxygen tank, Gus jokes about his prosthetic leg, and they met and fell in love at a cancer support group.
Verdict: Before I begin, I should probably admit that I'm a MASSIVE fan of the novel so I rushed out to a "The Week Before Our Stars" preview screening. Whilst my expectations couldn't have been more sky high in the lead up to this release at no point was I left disappointed.
The main reason that this adaptation is so rewarding is the performances. Shailene Woodley (Hazel) was an inspired piece of casting. Whilst her work on The Descendants showed her off as a rising star able to pull off a convincing and absorbing performance, her work in this film makes her a true force to be reckoned with - in the big leagues with Jennifer Lawrence. In what is a rather physical performance, what with her having to wear a canula for the whole film as well as displaying symptoms of cancer, it is the subtlety of Woodley's performance that has won her some truly deserved praise. However the success of portraying cancer patients isn't just down to the beautiful performances. Without a team of brilliant makeup artists it simply wouldn't be believable. They do a brilliant job of ensuring that the two leading stars (in between shooting the Divergent movies) never look overly glamorous, making it far more believable that they could be cancer patients. Whilst Ansel Elgort doesn't bring anything overly inspiring to the role of Gus, he does a good job of avoiding him from appearing to be a bit of a smarmy arsehole which is enough praise in itself given some of the ways that his character tries to woo Hazel. Praise also needs to be given to Laura Dern, Nat Wolff (who actually made it so he was unable to see in order to realistically portray a blind character) and the criminally underused Willem Defoe.
Whilst the direction of this movie by newcomer Josh Boone was relatively uninspired, the sheer simplicity of the camera rarely leaving the stars' faces adds to the effect of humanising the drama rather than trying to Hollywood-ise terminal illness. The soundtrack also has the perfect balance of pop music and more folky music which are in-keeping with the style of the piece, topped off with the heart breaking "All of the Stars" by Ed Sheeran used at the start of the credits.
Fans of the book will also be pleased to hear that this is quite possibly one of the most faithful book adaptations I have ever seen. The story has rarely changed with most of the dialogue remaining largely similar, the main change being the shortening of the third act. However this had little effect on the amount of heartbreak inflicted by the events that unfold. I have to admit that I probably cried much more than I did reading it first time around - there is something about watching the events unfold that is far more upsetting than reading it - so consider yourself warned to bring plenty of tissues.
As a fan of the book I couldn't possibly give the most balanced stance, but I can guarantee that there is something here for everyone. There is the romance & weepy drama that the marketing has focused heavily upon but there is also a lot of black humour. Whilst the film is about a very sensitive subject, at no point does it feel forced or contrived. Therefore (and I would never say this lightly) this has to be regarded as an essential piece of cinema in amongst most of the trash that is being released this summer - particularly looking at you Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie!
A must, especially for those who have experienced cancer in their lives.
5/5
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