The Fault in Our Stars

Simply beautiful film. I don't have much to criticize about it. Of course, some might find it self-indulgent. I see it as a beautiful celebration of love and life, portrayed brilliantly by the chosen actors. Humans are weak, but they can also be strong, and here we see it in all its aspects, just like the good and nasty people. The strongest part is definitely the events in Amsterdam. (29/08/2014)

A self-aware mix of romance and drama (a classic trend of recent years), with just the right amount of both. Too bad about the drawn-out ending, though, which may be too sentimental, but understandable considering the catharsis and the film's tone, but it never descends into awkwardness or pathos. The chemistry of the two leads is excellent, with a great Shailene Woodley, who will significantly overshadow Jennifer Lawrence in the future. (13/07/2014)

It's a shame that this film will find its place among my favorites, and yet I will probably never watch it again. Because Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort gave some of the most natural acting performances. That's why it's a shame, and why I won't be watching it again. Because if they hadn't been so great, I wouldn't be so taken with it. And I don't even have words for the story. (20/05/2015)

For most of its run this film was surprisingly likeable because it wasn’t the self-serving and cheap emotional blackmail that I feared. And, even though in the end things eventually take the path of emotional blackmail, one it had skilfully crossed up that point, I still liked it. The strongest point is that both of the stars manage to play their roles in a very likeable way. I was actually looking forward to being sarcastically nasty at them, but I can’t. (19/08/2014)

It's not the power of the premise or the media hype that makes this quality film a hit. What would The Shawshank Redemption be, with its potential for acting, plot and ideas, if it were filmed conventionally, aimed solely at reliable and convenient one-dimensional themes, and if it relied solely on all audiences having enough humanity and automatic empathy to appreciate it simply because it carries a laudable message? The Fault in Our Stars has a great cast and a commendable idea, but it's kitsch of the coarsest grain, which I have no need to see again in my life and which, despite all the cute faces and touching hugs, failed to tell me anything new. Both love and death are a given in life, and there are many other films that make me appreciate the former indescribably more and take the latter as a harmless, if unwelcome, companion. 65% (12/11/2015)