The Fault in Our Stars

Rating: 5/10 (5 March 2018)

I saw the trailer for this movie, obviously it was marketed as a big tearjerker movie, the title comes from a quote from Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, for we are underlings", it basically means that the fault is in the lead characters stars, I hoped for something worth my time. Basically teenager Hazel Grace Lancaster (Divergent's Shailene Woodley) lives in Indianapolis, she has terminal thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. Her mother Frannie (Laura Dern) believing her to be depressed urges to attend a weekly cancer patient support group to make friends with people going through the same thing. There Hazel meets charging teenager Augustus "Gus" Waters (Baby Driver's Ansel Elgort), he lost his leg from bone cancer, but has since apparently been cancer-free, they bond at his house over their hobbies. They both agree to read each other's favourite book, Hazel recommends An Imperial Affliction, a novel about a cancer-stricken girl named Anna that parallels her experience, and Augustus gives Hazel Counter Insurgence. They keep in touch via text over the weeks that follow and grow closer, Gus expresses frustration when finishing the book, having an abrupt ending (it ends in the middle of a sentence), Hazel tells that the mysterious author Peter Van Houten (Willem Dafoe) retreated to Amsterdam after the book's publication, he has not been heard from since. Weeks later, Gus tells Hazel he has traced Van Houten's assistant, Lidewij (Lotte Verbeek), Hazel corresponds with Van Houten by email, she writes wanting to find out more about the novel's ambiguous ending, Van Houten replies that he is only willing to answer her questions in person. Hazel asks her mother if she can travel to Amsterdam to visit him, but Frannie refuses because of financial and medical difficulties, Gus suggests she uses her Make-A-Wish Foundation "cancer wish", but she has already used it to go to Disney World. Gus and Hazel go on a picnic date and begin to fall in love, he surprises her with tickets to Amsterdam, there is a medical setback, but Hazel's doctors allow the trip, they expect that she will soon become incapable of doing anything at all. Hazel and Gus arrive in Amsterdam, they have reservations at an expensive restaurant, paid for by Van Houten, during the meal, Gus confesses his love for Hazel. The following afternoon, they meet Van Houten at his house, but are shocked to find he is an alcoholic, Lidewij paid for the trip and the dinner without his knowledge, angered he taunts Hazel for seeking answers, and belittles her medical condition. Hazel leaves, utterly distraught, Lidewij invites them to go sightseeing to make up for their ruined experience, the three visit the Anne Frank Museum, where Hazel struggles up the stairs. Gus and Hazel spend that night together in their hotel and have sex for the first time, the next day Gus tells her that his cancer has returned and spread throughout his body and is terminal, Hazel is heartbroken, expressing how unfair life can be. Returning to Indianapolis, Gus' health worsens, he is taken to the ICU and realizes he is close to death. Gus invites his blind best friend Isaac (Nat Wolff) and Hazel to his pre-funeral, where they deliver eulogies that they have both prepared, Hazel tells him she would not trade their short time together for anything. Gus dies eight days later, Hazel is astonished to see Van Houten at the funeral, he tells her that Gus had demanded he attend his funeral to make up for the spoiled trip. Van Houten tells her that his novel is based on the experiences of his daughter Anna, who died at a young age from leukemia, he gives a piece of paper, she screws it up and asks him to leave. Later, talking with Isaac, Hazel learns that Gus had asked Van Houten to help him write a eulogy for her, she retrieves the screwed-up paper, it is Gus writing about accepting his death and about his love for her. She lies on her back on her lawn looking up at the stars, smiling as she remembers Augustus and says: "Okay", they're special way of saying "I love you". Also starring True Blood's Sam Trammell as Michael Lancaster, Ana Dela Cruz as Dr. Maria, Randy Kovitz as Dr. Simmons, David Whalen as Gus' Dad and Milica Govich as Gus' Mom. Woodley gives a charming performance, whilst constantly wearing the breathing tubes, Elgort is endearing despite some cheesy dialogue, they are a believable doomed couple, obviously it is full of sentimentality and mushiness, and manipulative bits that try to draw tears, but it is also witty and amusing in the right places, it's not a bad romantic drama. Worth watching!