Cello Love

Rating: 8/10 (13 September 2015)

Kat: You're going to go to Julliard and play the hell out of your cello. Or, you're not. You're gonna stay with Adam and have lots of amazing adventures. Or you're not. Or maybe tomorrow, the Earth's gonna smash into a meteor, or it's not. Life is this big fat gigantic stinking mess. But that's the beauty of it too. Whatever you do, I support you. Either way, you win. And also either way there's something that you lose. What can I say, baby? True love's a bitch.
This is my favorite quote in If I Stay and it epitomizes the reasons I really enjoyed this film. The story follows Mia Hall (Chloe Grace Moretz) bred from a rock and roll family who ends up with a love for playing the cello. Her parents Kat and Denny Hall (Mireille Enos and Joshua Leonard) are very supportive and cool who allow their daughter to be who she really is. They understand her undeniable passion for the cello and never once put her down despite the fact that it sometimes annoys them. Mia on the other hand, does not quite seem to see what her parents do. I observed her to be insecure, unsure, and overly critical of herself. Then she meets Adam (Jamie Blackley) a cute rocker who is the complete opposite. For me personally, there was something lacking in their chemistry with each other. I'm wondering if that is because Mia's character feels out of place amongst Adam's clan...perhaps a feeling she felt her entire life with her family? Either way...I didn't 100 percent connect to their love for each other. Early on in the film, we witness Mia and her family in an accident that leaves her outside her body watching on as doctors strive to revive her from the coma she is left in. The film then transitions back and forth between the past and her current state after the accident. I feel the film hit the nail on the head with happy moments shared in a loving family. The film is a tearjerker for sure but I found these family scenes absolutely beautiful as it reminds us that life can change at the drop of a hat. That is why we need to make the most of our time while we are here. Overall, the performances were great with a special nod to Chloe Grace Moretz. She was consistent in her portrayal of Mia and powerful at the times she needed to be. The only other thing I disliked was that I felt this was story that had been told before. It wasn't as original as I would have liked it to be but that didn't take away from me enjoying the film.