Review: ‘The Fault In Our Stars’

Seeing the movie adaptation of a book I’ve loved is always a nerve-wracking experience. So often I walk out of the theatre angry or devastated by how spectacularly the filmmakers have failed to capture my vision of the story. The Fault In Our Stars is masterful in that it captures the book perfectly.

At a time when films for young adults are flooding the cinemas, it’s refreshing to see one that doesn’t feature a dystopian world, or sinfully good looking vampires. Hazel Lancaster isn’t tasked with saving the world, she just has to try and live in it a little longer.

Diagnosed with cancer at 13, Hazel made a miraculous recovery although she needs oxygen to keep her breathing. She is painfully smart and holds a cynical view of the world. When she meets Augustus at the cancer support group her mother forces her to go to, things begin to change. Gus has lost a leg to cancer, but hasn’t let that darken his outlook on life. He’s a charmer – cocky, a little arrogant, but so sweet you can forgive him that. It’s easy to see why Hazel is drawn to him.

The love story between these two develops slowly and naturally. Hazel is terrified of falling in love, knowing she has a limited time in which to live. She isn’t worried about her own heart getting broken, but doesn’t want Gus to be hurt when the inevitable happens.

At the same time Hazel is obsessed with a novel by a reclusive author and is desperate for answers as to what happens after the novel ends mid-sentence when the narrator dies. This parallels Hazel’s own fears about what might happen to her loved ones when she dies. Her obsession leads Hazel and Gus on an odyssey to Amsterdam where the story’s way of defying expectations reaches new heights.

Shailene Woodly gives such a beautiful, dedicated performance, it’s impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. She captures the strength and vulnerability in this character perfectly, and watching her do something as simple as reading a text message at the dinner table is a joy. As Augustus, Ansel Elgort is fine, if perhaps a little too cute at times. But Shailene and Ansel’s chemistry is obvious though and they make a believable pair, with their wise-beyond-their-years way of seeing the world. 

Special notice should be given to Nat Wolff who does a great job of portraying Gus’s friend Isaac, another cancer sufferer who loses his eyes (and his girlfriend) to the disease.

It could have been heavy-handed schmaltz, but under the steady hand of director Josh Boone, and his able cast, The Fault In Our Stars transcends that to be something genuinely moving. Don’t forget tissues. You’ll need them!

8/10

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