Crafted with intimacy, told with composure & made all the more heartwarming by wonderful performances from its cast, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is another unexpected delight of the year that surprises & stirs in equal doses, brims with a refreshing energy from beginning to end, and is a welcome addition to the coming-of-age dramas.
Based on the novel of the same name, the story of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl focuses on Gary, a high-school senior who spends most of his time making parodies of classic films with his partner, Earl, and has a very low opinion of himself. However, his perspective of life is altered when he befriends a classmate who's recently diagnosed with cancer.
Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon in what is his sophomore effort & scripted by the novel's author himself, the movie opens on a predictable note but slowly & steadily manages to win that viewers' hearts, thanks to its excellent grip on storytelling elements & naturally building charm. While Gomez-Rejon keeps the tone lighthearted for the most part, he finishes it on a high with a gut-wrenching finale.
The short films parodying past cinematic gems is both amusing & admirable to look at, the stop-motion animation is another pleasing element and these little stuffs offer more insight into the characters inhabiting the film, while adding something to the story that's entirely its own. Camera-work & editing work in tandem and its 105 minutes of runtime is aptly utilised. Music is in sync with unfolding events & is at its best during the climax.
Coming to the performances, the film features a young but promising cast in Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler & Olivia Cooke who play Greg, Earl & Rachel aka the dying girl, respectively. Each actor does justice to his or her part and it's a balanced performance from all three of them which only gets better as the story progresses. There are many long takes in the movie and these actors do an amazing job in those moments by keeping their expressions in tune with the given situation.
On an overall scale, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a touching, heartfelt & poignant story that packs in a lot of heart, warmth, laughs & tears, and saves its best for the final act. The film doesn't try to be pitiful or sappy because of a dying person in it, but aims to show how laughter, comfort & companionship can at least ease all sorts of pain, if not cure it. The final climactic moment is mesmerising & heartbreaking at the same time but the epilogue makes sure that the story ends on a fitting note. Definitely recommended.
Based on the novel of the same name, the story of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl focuses on Gary, a high-school senior who spends most of his time making parodies of classic films with his partner, Earl, and has a very low opinion of himself. However, his perspective of life is altered when he befriends a classmate who's recently diagnosed with cancer.
Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon in what is his sophomore effort & scripted by the novel's author himself, the movie opens on a predictable note but slowly & steadily manages to win that viewers' hearts, thanks to its excellent grip on storytelling elements & naturally building charm. While Gomez-Rejon keeps the tone lighthearted for the most part, he finishes it on a high with a gut-wrenching finale.
The short films parodying past cinematic gems is both amusing & admirable to look at, the stop-motion animation is another pleasing element and these little stuffs offer more insight into the characters inhabiting the film, while adding something to the story that's entirely its own. Camera-work & editing work in tandem and its 105 minutes of runtime is aptly utilised. Music is in sync with unfolding events & is at its best during the climax.
Coming to the performances, the film features a young but promising cast in Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler & Olivia Cooke who play Greg, Earl & Rachel aka the dying girl, respectively. Each actor does justice to his or her part and it's a balanced performance from all three of them which only gets better as the story progresses. There are many long takes in the movie and these actors do an amazing job in those moments by keeping their expressions in tune with the given situation.
On an overall scale, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a touching, heartfelt & poignant story that packs in a lot of heart, warmth, laughs & tears, and saves its best for the final act. The film doesn't try to be pitiful or sappy because of a dying person in it, but aims to show how laughter, comfort & companionship can at least ease all sorts of pain, if not cure it. The final climactic moment is mesmerising & heartbreaking at the same time but the epilogue makes sure that the story ends on a fitting note. Definitely recommended.