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He didn’t have to do much of the emotional lifting, that is left to his co-star. Related Article: 5 Reasons Why Shailene Woodley Will Receive an Oscar Nom for “The Fault in Our Stars”Īnsel Elgort had a tough job in playing Augustus. However, the two leads were what made the film great. Her hope and defeat play off so well and her arc of acceptance is so fantastically drawn out. You felt her need to make everything better, but feel powerless. Mike Birbirglia, Nat Wolff, and Willem Dafoe did wonderful work, but Laura Dern as Hazel’s in denial mother was outstanding. The unsung heroes of the film are the wonderful supporting actors. While part of the decision was probably made to include passages that book fans would miss, it was a welcome addition to the screenplay which takes so much from Green’s words. However, that plot is amplified by the careful decisions to use a framing device that allows Hazel’s voice to guide the story.
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Although it has its light moments, there is always that overwhelming feeling of sadness.Įverything from the score (composed by Bright Eyes) to the editing and pacing all serve a love story that is already so wonderfully plotted.
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Their love story is one that is doomed from the start, which was always a bold choice on the part of Green and that is apparent through the film. Despite her seeming predestination of an early death, she survives and lives life careful not to harm too many in her inevitable destruction, that is until she meets Augustus Waters. Hazel Grace Lancaster is a true modern day hero. Director Josh Boone understood that challenge and was able to balance the sentimentality of it all with the brutal realizations of leading a sick life. So to translate that honesty was a task that required great care and grace. Complete with all its victories and defeats, comedies and tragedies, virtue and unfairness. John Green was able to do something with his novel that not many artists can do. They were Michael Haneke’s Amour, Roberto Benigni’s Life is Beautiful, and now Josh Boone’s The Fault in Our Stars. So rare in fact that only three films I have watched in my lifetime were able to do so.
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