So after work on Friday, a few of us decided to venture to Cineworld and watch The Fault In Our Stars. Like any other teenager with a casual interest in young adult literature, I've heard of the book (but unfortunately never gotten around to reading it) so the story line was always quite well known to me.
Overall, I really really enjoyed the film! If you're after a weepy film that rather poetically tells a tragic story then it's something you'll also enjoy. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the plot line of cancer and to label it as 'just another chick flick' but it goes far far deeper than that; especially as half of the guys i watched the film with cried a lot more than all of the girls combined! I had a feeling throughout that this would be a film that effects a male audience more so than a female audience for the simple reason that as humans, we have an innate want to protect the people around us, a commodity that is normally more apparent in men (if the alpha male in the animal kingdom is anything to go on) and this film provides a quite gritty and realistic idea that due to these ridiculous mutations such as cancer, not everyone can be protected, bad things can just happen and it's something that's difficult to understand and deal with. The approach to cancer was very very well done and the slightly abrasive attitude to the world gives it a rougher edge (a bit like the film 'Now Is Good' (2012) which has a similar tone).The characters were captivate and just so likable and enjoyable to watch. As an audience member, i really enjoyed being in the protagonist's company and that is definitely one of the most enjoyable elements of the film. I particularly love how the protagonist's weren't squeaky clean, the equally had a slightly abrasive attitude which worked so well within the narrative.
The writing was just fantastic. Extremely poetic (something that is very distinctive of John Green) with a lovely honesty that was also at times incredibly witty.
A very enjoyable film that I highly recommend! Please don't be put off by the subject matter or the fact that it's very weepy and sensitive in it's narrative, as it's a film that can easily be appreciated for so much more than that!
