THE FAULT IN OUR STARS: Flawless performances! Flawed Direction! [2.5/5]

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]