TFIOS Review

My five cents on TFIOS 

by Clarissa

The highly anticipated “romance of the decade” has made its debut. And it was brilliant. I loved it. It was very true to the book in most ways. Shailene Woodley (who is so much cooler than Jennifer Lawrence) played a realistic Hazel, and Ansel Elgort played a mediocre Augustus. I say this because 1) I pictured Augustus much differently in my mind; definitely darker hair, a more powerful presence, etc. and 2) Gus is supposed to be an intellectual – I felt like Ansel was convincing, but was not a convincing intellectual. He said his lines like they were not his own, and everything he said with a smile which was slightly annoying. But alas, I applaud him for his overall very good portrayal of Gus. Though I love The Fault in Our Stars and consider John Green a brilliant human, I feel that sad feelings and enormous emotion accompany this book. Nearly everyone who read the book claims to have “cried for days” and so on. I didn’t cry when I read the book. There’s nothing wrong with that. I still felt sad inside. But, the franchise and “idea” about TFIOS is that if you don’t cry, you’re hardly human. And I got the feeling that if you didn’t cry in the movie, you’re an abomination to society. Pack your tissues. What I’m saying is: It’s not a competition. No one cares how much you cried, but good for you if you did. In the movie, my eyes did water and I cried at the last montage. Montages stab you real hard. The casting, music, directing and everything else was very enjoyable to watch as there was no dull moment. I decided before I watched the movie was that if the acting was not convincing, I wasn’t going to cry. But the acting, though cheesy at times, was very real. That’s another reason John Green is brilliant – the words he write are innately human, simple, and real – they’re stories that could be going on right now. The movie was also funny without cracking any cringe worthy jokes. It was funny without trying to be. I felt bad, sometimes I would be laughing at the most inappropriate times while the theatre was making the floor slippery with their tears. And some scenes were immensely moving. In my opinion, when Hazel struggles up the stairs at Anne Frank’s house, that struck a nerve. Overall, 4/5 stars. Final word: I want to be Shailene Woodley’s friend and slow dance with Ansel Elgort. 

No sense 

by Zara

I have a small nagging inner conflict with teeny-bop literature. On one hand, I love it and I think it is beneficial because it gets the pubescents reading, and often times it tells a great story. On the other hand, it is not the best literature out there. However, John Green is a great storyteller and person, and his books seem to be hella relatable to the youth. The Fault in Our Stars was no exception. While I found parts of the book to be sappy and cliché (I DON’T BELIEVE IN LOVE), I thought the story made good points and made the reader think a little more deeply about life and love. The characters were well-developed, realistic, and likeable, and that definitely translated onto the big screen. The movie was well-made although the director (Josh Boone) looks like Randall from Monsters Inc. Like Clarissa said, there were parts that were kinda like eh, but for the most part it was entertaining and kept the audience engaged and sobbing, which again, like Clarissa said, was something e v e r y o n e was doing. I think people were already making themselves cry before it actually started. I didn’t cry in the book, but movies do tend to make me cry more, so yes, I did cry, but only for like five minutes unlike the entire movie (AVA) (<3). Shailene Woodley is a very convincing crier and that made me cry harder, although Clarissa and I laughed at some inappropriate times as well. Augustus Waters was almost as charming as he was in the book. I love Ansel, bless him, but first of all, he sounds like he’s part of the Von Trapp family, and secondly he played Gus a bit more cocky than I thought he was in the book. I pictured Gus to be taller, a tad darker, curlier hair, and more inquisitive. But overall, Ansel portrayed him well. My favorite character though was Isaac because Nat Wolff. I love Nat and Alex Wolff of the Naked Brothers Band and I was thrilled to see Nat in an onscreen production. I think he’s adorably awkward and funky. Also, I think he’d play a perfect Pudge if and when they make Looking For Alaska. My overall score: 4.5/5. Also Clarissa is right about Shailene being cooler than Jennifer, although Jennifer is perfect but also overrated by the youth. 

Me while watching TFIOS:

TFIOS

If you haven't at least heard of The Fault in Our Stars by now you must really be hipster and/or illiterate. From Tyler Oakley to Coffee Dave (although not confirmed) to Ian Davies, everyone is giving this New York bestseller a good read. Probably even Oprah too, but I couldn't get ahold of her. John Green is probably the Teen Whisperer because his books have got all the pubescents reading.

The storyline is fairly simple: two teenagers fall in love and it's cliché and wonderful, except that both of them have cancer and will eventually have to face their mortality. But their love extends beyond their illness, and it's heart-wrenching and probably not too unlikely if your relationship was written in the stars omg. I don't believe in fairytale love, but I do believe in John Green (I saw him with my own two eyeballs last summer!!!) The story is a tear jerker for most, but it wasn't for me. I didn't cry at all, but I did leave with a heavy heart and clogged arteries.

I wouldn't say that there are any faults in the stars they chose to play the characters, except that I did think Isaac was blond and not Nat Wolff, and Augustus was more gallant and suave than Ansel Elgort. Shailene Woodley is a fallen deity so no problem there.

Let's talk about Shailene. I don't know if I want to be her or be her best friend. First of all, I've loved her since the beginning when she played Felicity in the American Girl Doll movie. Felicity was my first American Girl Doll so it's nostalgic. Secondly, she was in the Secret Life of the American Teenager for years and that show never got that popular, I don't know why because it was great. Third of all, she pulls off a better pixie cut than Chace Crawford AND collects her own spring water AND makes her own toothpaste AND everything she owns fits into a carry-on suitcase. Please. We are all so basic compared to her.

I dreamt of Ansel during my mid-morning nap today. He's also kind of perfect and is now on my top 10.

Anyway, the movie comes out this Friday and I'll be seeing it more times than Kim Kardashian's been married.

Oh, and my new all time favorite Ed Sheeran song, "All of the Stars" is on the soundtrack, which I've just got word that my friend bought for me at the Mall of America!

Imagine writing a book that you're so proud of, and a few years later getting to watch it transform onto the screen. That's part of the reason why I'm so excited for this movie. And also for Paper Towns because they've announced they're making a movie of that too! GOD BLESS YOU JOHN GREEN (did you know he's also an avid youtuber and the founder of VidCon???)

So I leave you with this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ItBvH5J6ss&feature=kp

and this:

xoxo,

Z