Directed by : Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Written by : Jesse Andrews
Starring : Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler,
Release Date : June 12, 2015
So here's another coming-of-age story, about high school slice of life, that's told in a clever and subversive way. It may appear to be too quirky, too precious, too self-aware, and too sentimental, to be taken seriously. However, how can this not be taken seriously when one of the main characters is a dying girl? There is a lot to like about this movie, but it's definitely not without it's flaws. It makes a point to avoid doing clichés; which is appreciated, but the story still contains some clichés anyway.
The main characters are at least really good. Thomas Mann as the self deprecating but charming Greg is fun to follow. Olivia Cooke is incredible as Rachel; the dying girl, who is just all sorts of awesome as a character. The friendship and conversations that Greg and Rachel have is the primary draw to watching this movie. As for RJ Cyler as Earl, he essentially plays the straight man that tells things as it is, and helps keep the balance between Greg and Rachel.
Visually, this movie is fantastic to watch. There's an energetic and creative style to this, that it practically dares you not to look at each framed shot. The screenplay has some great and smart writing here, but it doesn't always maintain that high level of cleverness that it's clearly aiming for. There's also some tonal changes in the plot that I wished could have been handled better.
Although I don't think "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" was a complete slam dunk of a movie, there really was a lot about this story that I loved. Besides the entertaining characters and tons of fun moments, it has a thematic message that I could absolutely get behind with. I felt satisfied and maybe even inspired by the end of this film as well. If anything else, you'll really enjoy seeing those home movies that Greg and Earl came up with.
lovedit ENJOYED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible
