Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (B+) Movie Review
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, the breakout Sundance hit which won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize, stars Thomas Mann as a high school senior named Greg who is on pretty good terms with everyone at his school, although not close friends with anyone except for his co-worker Earl, who helps him film parodies of old, classic films ("Eyes Wide Butt," "Pooping Tom," and "The 400 Bros" for example). They befriend a girl with cancer named Rachel, played by Olivia Cooke, and decide to make a film for her.
What ensues is a touching and honest portrayal of teen life and friendship that proves itself to be one of the best teen films of the millennium. This is the second film with director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon at the helm, his debut being The Town That Dreaded Sundown. Gomez-Rejon is an obviously talented director, judging only from Me and Earl and the Dying Girl because I have not seen his debut. He creates a few very powerful moments in the film, one towards the end (you'll know it when you see it), and one involving a fight between Greg and Rachel that is done in one long take.
The young actors in the film, Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, and RJ Cyler (who plays Earl) are all incredibly talented. Specifically Olivia Cooke, who gives a disarmingly honesty and realistic performance. Thomas Mann's performance is very good, too, as his performance seems to kind of fit into a vein of Wes Anderson-y performances and the style of this film feels reminiscent of Wes Anderson. He fits right into the movie. RJ Cyler is not given a ton to do, although he's undeniably good in his role. I would have liked to see more Earl.
Jesse Andrews, who wrote the novel the film is based on, also penned the screenplay. His dialogue flows naturally and is often pretty funny. The characters, or the main characters I should say, are all fleshed out well. They seem real and like people you'd like to be friends with. My problem with the screenplay is that the whole thing revolves a little too much around Greg. Even when the plot should start to pay more attention to Rachel towards the second half, it stays pretty Greg-centric.
But despite some minor flaws, this film is an example of good filmmaking. It's very well shot, has some great performances, and most importantly, earns your tears. There is no part in the film where I felt like the emotions weren't genuine and they weren't just trying to get you to cry. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl gets pretty cute sometimes but it's also powerful. If you rarely cry in movies, don't be surprised if you catch your eyes watering.
FINAL GRADE: B+
MPAA RATING: PG-13 for sexual content, drug material, language and some thematic elements
What ensues is a touching and honest portrayal of teen life and friendship that proves itself to be one of the best teen films of the millennium. This is the second film with director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon at the helm, his debut being The Town That Dreaded Sundown. Gomez-Rejon is an obviously talented director, judging only from Me and Earl and the Dying Girl because I have not seen his debut. He creates a few very powerful moments in the film, one towards the end (you'll know it when you see it), and one involving a fight between Greg and Rachel that is done in one long take.
The young actors in the film, Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, and RJ Cyler (who plays Earl) are all incredibly talented. Specifically Olivia Cooke, who gives a disarmingly honesty and realistic performance. Thomas Mann's performance is very good, too, as his performance seems to kind of fit into a vein of Wes Anderson-y performances and the style of this film feels reminiscent of Wes Anderson. He fits right into the movie. RJ Cyler is not given a ton to do, although he's undeniably good in his role. I would have liked to see more Earl.
Jesse Andrews, who wrote the novel the film is based on, also penned the screenplay. His dialogue flows naturally and is often pretty funny. The characters, or the main characters I should say, are all fleshed out well. They seem real and like people you'd like to be friends with. My problem with the screenplay is that the whole thing revolves a little too much around Greg. Even when the plot should start to pay more attention to Rachel towards the second half, it stays pretty Greg-centric.
But despite some minor flaws, this film is an example of good filmmaking. It's very well shot, has some great performances, and most importantly, earns your tears. There is no part in the film where I felt like the emotions weren't genuine and they weren't just trying to get you to cry. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl gets pretty cute sometimes but it's also powerful. If you rarely cry in movies, don't be surprised if you catch your eyes watering.
FINAL GRADE: B+
MPAA RATING: PG-13 for sexual content, drug material, language and some thematic elements