The Fault in Our Stars: Review

Rating: 9/10 (11 April 2017)

The Fault In Our Stars is a film directed by Josh Boone based on the John Green novel of the same name (The first time his novel is adapted to a film).
Now let me confess I am not a person who see's romantic films. I would rather watch films of action genre. Even when I read a one line summary about the film I wasn't ready to see it. Because I thought it would be overly melodramatic. But then many people said me it's actually not that. And when I saw the film I thought how wrong I was.
Plot: Hazel and Augustus meet at a support group and fall in love with each other.
Story: If you see the film, in the very first scene only you get a hint at the ending of the film (I actually guessed the ending of the film and YES I WAS RIGHT). The story has basically nothing new in it. The setting is little bit changed to 2 people who are actually battling for their life. I also began to guess some of the scenes. Which is the only "fault" in this film. But still I was feeling joyed and excited in every scene that I was seeing. That is the magic of the screenwriters and directors. They create a world in which you love to swim. That is why the film actually caught hold of me (even though I knew most of the scenes).
There are many things that differed from the novel. But I will highlight the 2 which I thought were important: 1) Ansel died quite quickly in the novel. 2) Hazel forgives van Houten during the funeral scene. The reason I highlighted these 2 things is because I liked the way these two things were not shown in the film. Because actually the essence of the film quite die.
Now since I saw an extended version of the film, I would actually give light on some of the scenes that was not in the theatrical version: 1) The first would be the scene where Hazel tells her Mom that Gus is ready to take her to Amsterdam and after the scene they go to the doctor to ask for permission which she declines. I guess this was quite important to show the care of the mother for her child. 2) Another one is toward the end where Hazel takes Gus to the hospital and on the way she recites the poem "The Red Wheelbarrow". This scene is too important as it tells more about how strong is the relation between Gus and Hazel.
Acting: Shailene Woodley is actually the main protagonist of the film. She did an excellent job as Hazel. As the director had said once, Within ten or fifteen seconds of Shailene's audition, I knew she was Hazel. She held up her script pages and just her eyes were peeking over them." I couldn't see anyone as more convincing as her. I would also say the very same statement for Ansel (as Augustus). He too was very good. William Dafoe as the alcoholic author was great. And the rest of the supporting cast too especially Laura Dern as Hazel's Mother. She killed it with the emotions as a mother whose child is suffering.
Favorite scene: I guess it would be the scene where Hazel and Gus meet after the support group session for the very first time. Then Gus puts a cigarette in his mouth and Hazel is surprised. The reply to Hazel in that scene was actually something that grasped and fascinated me a lot.
Verdict: I loved the film a lot. As I said, the only "fault" in the film is that I have seen things like these many times. But still I enjoyed the film.
SO I would give it a 9/10.