When life gives you tough times, you better learn how to bounce back and
have a good laugh at it. Immensely inspired by the idea of diluting the pain
with humor, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS is a love-story between two young teenagers
fighting for their lives with cancer and its after-effects. This romantic
journey, at the very start swears not to be ‘sugarcoated’ or ‘melodramatic’ like
other fairytales but apparently ends up being a too simplistic, sentimental
& single-tracked tearjerker. May be youngsters in love could relate to it
more, I find it just another love-story with some good performances and a few
moments to cherish. And my subject of concern here is only the film and not the
book.
With an attached oxygen tank and a tube to her nose, cancer patient
Hazel Grace [Played by Shailene Woodley] meets Gus [Ansel Elgort], a charming
cancer survivor with an artificial metallic leg in a Cancer Support group…and
the chemistry between two gets ignited from the very first encounter. Together they
smile at their disabilities in life with wit and humor and also take the
journey to fulfill Hazel’s dream to meet her favorite novelist [Williem Dafoe
in a delicious appearance], but the stars have their own set of fate written
all over.
Based on John Green’s hysterical bestseller of same name, THE FAULT IN
OUR STARS captures the essence, excitement and enthusiasm of first love
beautifully with wide-eyed lovers passing on never-ending smiles, crackling
one-liners to make other happy and more and more of sweet talks on phone chats but
it goes on and on in a single dimension till the second part decides to turn
you a puddle of tears by adding melodramatic events. At one point of time, even
the witty one-liners lose their steam because of your preempt participation in
what comes next.
Performances are saviors. Shailene Woodley’s charismatic presence as a sadistic
but sensible teenager is worth looking at screen. Even in her emotional
outbursts, she maintains her promise. Ansel Elgort succeeds in winning hearts [of
girls] through his lovely portrayal of a diehard lover who doesn’t leave any
stones unturned to make sure Hazel could fulfill her wish. Nat Wolff plays
Issac, a partly blind teenager who has been ditched by his girlfriend. He shares
some of the good enjoyable moments mostly where he’s seen expressing and
throwing off all his anger on things like Gus’ trophies and his ex-girlfriend’s
house. Williem Dafoe, after year’s THE
GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL is in top form. As a grumpy moody novelist who doesn’t hesitate
to talk rough with even his fans, he is brilliant.
Overall, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS is a big letdown on the part of Josh
Boone. A more cleared vision and a gripping screenplay would have done better. Probably,
it’s just another ‘lost in translation’ effort that is better restricted to
words and not visuals on screen. Strictly
watchable only because of performances! [2.5/5]
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