The Fault In Our Stars

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

Director : Josh Boone

Year : 2014

Genre : Romance

Rating : **

Based on John Greens' extremely popular novel of the same name, 'The Fault In Our Stars' tells the story of two cancer stricken teenagers who fall hopelessly in love with other despite the obvious setbacks. Hazel (played wonderfully by Shailene Woodley) is an optimistic, almost naive sort who takes her sickness on the chin, never allowing it to get in the way of her everyday life. Augustus (Ansel Elgort) on the other hand is a much more realistic, if not overly pessimistic boy who sees death as an inevitability and isn't afraid to let anyone in his immediate circle know it. But while their respective values and beliefs may contrast sharply, romance inevitably blossoms as the two discover that they need each other to cope with their life threatening illnesses. 

If the many online reviews are anything to go by, 'The Fault In Our Stars' is one of the most emotional and saddest movies ever made. Indeed, it is impossible to go onto Facebook or Twitter these days without readings dozens of messages from overly emotional teenage girls who have left screenings in paraxisms of unrivaled sorrow. Being something of a killjoy, I was dreading seeing 'The Fault In Our Stars' as I have always had a certain aversion to movies whose sole purpose is to make it's audience cry. However, I have now seen the film and while I most definitely didn't shed one single tear throughout, I can certainly see why it would make it's target audience weep into their over-sized buckets of popcorn. 

It has its fair share of emotionally manipulative moments and it certainly doesn't shy away from exploring death and coping with crippling loss in a frank and realistic manner while 'Divergent' alumni Woodley and Elgort provide the film with a strong central focus; especially Woodley who delivers an Academy Award worthy performance as the emotive Hazel. But while it's starring pair do a good job of placing us the world of cancer and how a teenager may deal with it on both a physical and psychological level, an overly melodramatic tone as well as a frustratingly quirky screenplay turn 'The Fault In Our Stars' from a potentially moving and deeply affecting work into a ridiculously overblown and despicably self-righteous endurance test. It may be hyped but it certainly isn't anything special whatsoever and for those who say it is the saddest film ever made, you clearly haven't seen enough films!