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.
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