Counting stars

Rating: 8/10 (12 July 2014)

Well, as the movie began, I really had my doubts whether it would be any good or not, mainly due to the quite fast-paced plot and the exaggerated character of Gus. I mean, he was only eighteen (or twenty?) years old and acted like someone too mature for his age; he was just so-good at everything. He was intelligent, well-bred, humble, good looking and so on; his character felt too unrealistic for me, and I believed the whole movie would feel that way. However, I got the opposite; everything else felt credible. The characters are well written, with highlights to Van Houten, whose quotes are funny for being too absurd. The directing is highly professional, delivering lots of intense scenes, like almost all involving the main couple. Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort are also very professional, and I can't find words to express how proud I feel for them. They, along with the marvelous directing, are what make this film so intense, sentimental, romantic and somehow, sad. I didn't feel like crying for any moment, but I heard that a lot of people did, so that's a proof of how realistic the story looks like, even if using a clichéd main plot. Some people may consider it to be an overly-sentimental picture, but I believe there are films more appellative than this in the genre. Therefore, if you're going to watch it, keep in mind that there will be some (or a lot of) romanticism. All in all, it's another great surprise in 2014!