ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL - 2015
Throughout the movie the main character, Greg, leads a constant narration that perfectly attributes the book to which the movie was based off of. This may be because the book's author, Jesse Andrews, is also the one who wrote the screenplay for the film. What this movie so perfectly captures is not only a Coming-of-Age finding oneself, typical teenage movie but also the awkwardness, constant anger, and unknowing that comes with not personally dealing with cancer yet watching someone close to you go through it.
Begrudgingly made to visit Rachel Kushner (who was diagnosed with Lukemia) by his mom the main character and narrator, Greg, is forced to deal with his self-hatred and physiological problems that make it impossible for him to call anyone a friend. Even Earl, who he has known since kindergarten and makes self-proclaimed movies with. Hence this the name of the move Me and Earl and the Dying Girl .
Like stated before this film paints a perfect, realistic picture of what it is like to see someone close to you slowly fade away because of cancer. When Rachel first starts chemotherapy, Greg has no idea what to say or how to even deal with the situation. Jesse Andrews didn't try to sugarcoat any part of this film by having Greg say or do any of the right things. In fact, quite the opposite because there are moments when one wants to cringe out of the sheer lack of comfort Greg offers Rachel in the face of her chemotherapy after-sessions. Earl portrays Greg's childhood plus family life quite nicely and offers greater insight into his character while also giving great comedic relief and psychological insight throughout the duration of the film.
The music greatly matched up with scenes throughout the length of the film, only adding to the artistic edge of it. The dull undertones of each scene also added to the overall message that life isn't always happy and things really suck sometimes. The casting for this movie was superb. Greg who was played by Thomas Mann (who also starred in Project X plus Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters) brought a perfect blend of awkward yet endearing charm to the main role. Olivia Cooke (seen in Ouija) as Rachel Kushner a.k.a. the Dying Girl notably portrayed the anger, sadness, and acceptance of facing death at a deliriously tender age. RJ Clyer in his breakout role showed an abundance of talent as Earl, exuding perfectly the laid back personality of the character but also the depth of caring Earl was able to feel.
The lack of romantic undertones only added to the greatness of this film. Through having no romantic relationships, it heavily differs from most Coming-of-Age stories but also gets to the base of teenage confusion and self-consciousness without having to bring the stereo-typical sexual confusion or frustration with other teenagers into play. Overall the film is vastly refreshing and hits you on a base level no matter what your age. Teenager or not, the movie will make you laugh, cry, and leave you with a feeling of complete and utter solitude.