The Fault In Our Stars

What a surprise The Fault In Our Stars turned out to be!
I must admit I didn't know a lot about it until I saw the preview and upon seeing it I thought it looked good but not engaging, warm, funny and emotional.
It's of course based on the book, which I have not read so didn't have any attachment to it.
We meet Hazel Grace (Shailene Woodley) as she daydreams about a 'normal life' without the constant presence of the cancer she is basically letting run its course.
In an effort to get her to live her life a little, Hazel's mum sends her off to a support group where other young people discuss their own battles, and victories, with cancer.
One of those is Gus (Ansel Elgort) who proclaims that since he has beaten cancer, which claimed one leg, he's going to be remembered for something great. He carries with him, somewhat ironically, an unlit cigarette as a symbol of his victory.
Along for the ride is Gus's friend Isaac (Nat Wolff), who is going blind but has fallen hard for a girl who would eventually break up with him because she couldn't stand the thought of him going blind.
The plot is your somewhat typical teenage love story (that's really generalising) but what stands this out is the stunning performances from and chemistry between the two leads. I hadn't heard of Ansel Elgort before but he's the star of this show, make no mistake.
I was simply fixated on the story and the twists and turns in the lives of the two leads, plus Isaac who has a couple of very funny scenes regarding his break-up, and while I'm sure there were holes I didn't really notice them.
I'd rank this up there with a couple of similar films over the past couple of years, the likes of Perks Of Being A Wallflower and The Spectactular Now (which Woodley is also in) and if you need a ranking I'd say in between the two. (I did give Perks a 10).
Sure to be one of the top five at the end of the year and, be warned, if you tend to cry in movies then you're going to need the hanky.
A 9 out of 10 and an absolute (heartbreaking) delight.

Reset & recap

So it's been quite a while between posts and I guess I lost a bit of interest.
I think it is good for me to continue to share things on this blog so I've decided to reboot and will make an effort to be fairly regular.
Habits can be harder to form than you'd think but writing this blog is a good habit and hopefully it will encourage me to pick up other good habits. Feel free to interact.

Here's a quick recap of the films I've seen this year minus the latest one which will gets its own review.
Her - 9/10. Amazingly original.
The Wolf Of Wall Street - 8/10. Enjoyable, though over the top, even for someone not a fan of Leo.
Last Vegas - 7/10. Hangover for seniors. Good fun.
12 Years A Slave - 8/10. Hard work but rewarding.
Dallas Buyers Club - 8.5/10. Oscar worthy performances.
Wolf Creek 2 - 2.5/10. Unnecessary, cheesy, sequel.
Noah - 4/10. Good effects, poor overall.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier - 9/10. True to form.
The Lego Movie - 6/10. Fun but over rated.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - 6.5/10. Wasted talents on unnecesary reboot.
Transcendence - 7/10. Very interesting but not exceptional.
Muppets Most Wanted - 6/10. Fun as usual but lacked something.
Bad Neighbours - 6/10. Crude, had its moments, but disappointing.
The Grand Hotel Budapest - 6/10. Too clever for its own good.
The Double - 7/5/10. Bold, exceptional performance, original.
X Men: Days of Future Past - 7.5/10. Worthy addition to series.
Maleficent - 7/10. Brilliant performance, dark, compelling.