****
An amateur film-maker and
perpetual outsider, Greg reluctantly agrees to visit the home of his neighbour,
Rachel, after she is diagnosed with leukaemia. Over the course of their
meetings, Greg, Rachel and Greg’s co-worker Earl form a friendship that will
leave none of them unchanged.
With a title such as that, it is
likely that many potential viewers will dismiss this as an over-sentimental,
teenage-angst piece: I can assure you that it is not. Grounded firmly in
reality by an instantly likeable central character, Greg (Thomas Mann), this
film is excellently well-observed in terms of teenage interaction, leading to
moments of hilarity alongside heart-wrenching scenes which cannot fail to bring
tear to your eye. Quirk and amusing in places, this is nevertheless an
intensely heartfelt study of teenage friendship in the midst of sickness and
college applications.
It is to director’s Alfonso
Gomez-Rejon and screenwriter Jesse Andrew’s (who also wrote the novel) credit
that the film never descends into mawkishness and saccharine philosophy despite
the difficult central premise of a young girl dying of leukaemia before the
eyes of helpless student Greg and her continuously drinking mother. Thomas Mann
is perfect as Greg; socially awkward but ultimately with a heart of gold, he plays
the conflicted teen pushed into Rachel’s life as someone who has wanted to make
it through life without anyone taking any notice of him, shying away from
connection with continuous witticisms and meaningless interactions. As his
friendship with Rachel develops, so does he, learning more about himself than
he thought possible, something that Mann is capable of portraying through a
single facial expression or gesture. The chemistry between Greg and Rachel
(Olivia Cooke) is unmistakable, making you feel as though you are sitting in
the room with them. Cooke offers a brave performance as a girl slipping into
despair and depression as her cancer worsens, but never in a way that suggests
she feels sorry for herself, which is to her immense credit. Earl (CJ Ryder)
offers the humorous voice in the midst of doom and despair, but also a moment
of real maturity and eloquence that makes you wish more time had been spent on
his character and his friendship with Rachel, as opposed to the central pair.
And amongst all this are the
homemade parodies of classic films, that Greg and Earl have made over the years,
and eventually reveal to Rachel. Humorously titled and endlessly funny, these
little films within a film are truly charming, many having laugh-out-loud
moments. Each is beautifully detailed and different from the next, adding that
extra something to an already lovely film.
There are so many little touches
that are truly brilliant, from the topsy-turvey colourful home in which Greg
lives, to the DVD rental shop, to the vast expanse of the school canteen, but
it is the excellent direction, script and performances on display that raise
this above your average teen tragedy. Cemented firmly in the everyday, this is
almost kitchen-sink in its perspective, and yet it is undoubtedly ubiquitous in
its portrayal of friendship, sickness, life and death.
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