Tag Archives: the fault in our stars

The Fault In Our Stars (2014)

My Ratings: 3.5

The fault in our stars is a very intelligent film with a great script.

In a subconscious level the film successfully manipulates our emotions and recycles the ever-popular theme of Romance to its maximum effect.

The teenage girl Hazel (outstanding performance by Shailene Woodley) with a permanent tube put to her nose which never lets the audience forget that she has lung cancer falls for this young, handsome and somewhat cocky Gus (enacted by talented Ansel Elgort) who has already lost one of his leg in his battle against cancer.

Hazel keeps reading a sad book about a girl who had cancer; the creepy author of the book Van Houten (Willem Dafoe) admits that he actually lost his child to cancer and … and ….

Yes, Gus’s best friend Isaac (Nat Wolff) is in the verge of losing his eyesight and the reason is of course cancer again.

In the film people affected by cancer are more in numbers than the non-affected ones; The fault in our stars is a love-story that pulls all the necessary strings to make sure that you are heart broken by the end of the show. You better be prepared.

So, from the very beginning the tone is set – we are unconsciously waiting for the grim inevitable to happen.

But this certainty of the uncertainty of Hazel and Gus’s lives makes them so much more lovable to us. Their emotions and vulnerability,  their innocent happiness, their distress, the feelings for each other, the wits and humors, affect us much more than any other clichéd girl-boy love story.

Based on the novel by John Green The fault in our stars is directed by Josh Boone (the Stuck in love director) but the spine of the film is undoubtedly the acting.

Both Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort need to be especially mentioned for their brilliant performances and also for sharing such terrific screen chemistry. They made their romance look so true yet ordinary so that all the teenage girls could perfectly relate to it and eventually get drowned in their own tears.

Even Laura Dern playing Hazel’s mom made her presence felt.

The fault in our stars also shows the very important aspect of how efficiently parents support their children (both emotionally and financially) and give them enough strength to fight against diseases as deadly as cancer.

A film often genuinely funny, sentimental to the extent of being manipulative but in the end I am convinced that the film does work (at least for a certain section of audience for sure).

The fault in our stars is a perfect teenage girl’s romantic fantasy made with the sole purpose to make you cry.

If that’s your cup of tea then go for it. No regrets.

Film trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ItBvH5J6ss