​FILMS

me and earl and the dying girl

2015 review number 131:

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: (Comedy/Drama): 71 out of 100: A quirky, offbeat film that should appeal to the indie set, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl has its charms although it's not the classic that it's made out to be in numerous reviews. This could be attributed to the constant narration by Greg, who is the 'me' of the title, which intrudes on allowing the viewer to simply enjoy the visuals without being told about everything that happens. 

 

High schooler Greg (Thomas Mann), spends most of his time making paradies of movies with his friend and co-worker Earl (RJ Cyler), who comes from the poorer side of his neighbourhood. Greg's mother (Connie Britton) forces her son to spend some time with Rachel (Olivia Cooke), who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. The only problem is he hasn't spoken with her since kindergarten. They become friends and it's Rachel's health struggles which result in Earl adopting a different outlook on life.

 

Jesse Andrews has written the screenplay based on his novel. It is sensitively written without being over-sentimental, which could easily have been done considering the nature of the topic. I'm not sure how he could have reduced the narration but it did affect my enjoyment level. There was just too much of it and I'm not a huge fan of continuous narration from go to whoa. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon directs with style and purpose although there were several irritating camera angles which detracted from the performances.

 

The performances by the three leads are exhilirating. They were unknown to me before the movie but I'm sure they'll be stars of the future. They brilliantly convey the teen angst they are experiencing. I would have liked more involvement from Earl's side of the story but this is probably Greg and Rachel's movie in that they develop their relationship which means their characters have the most depth. Molly Shannon has a meaty role as Rachel's mum and demonstrates her comedic and dramatic qualities. Nick Offerman and Connie Britton as Greg's mum have less to do. Jon Bernthal is convincing as the inspirational teacher who Greg spends most of his school lunch break with.

 

The parodies of movies added a nice touch. Being a movie buff, it was fantastic to be able to spot the stories being imitated although there might have been too many of these to experience for the average viewer. This is just one way of how Andrews incorporates humour in his story and screenplay. It's not laugh-out-loud funny, but more of a humorous reflection of life in general.

 

One must give credit to the music score by Brian Eno and Nico Muhly and the songs/tunes from previous movies that shape the characters. The music included contribute to the narrative thrust.

 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is an enjoyable movie on many levels. It just wasn't the masterpiece I expected it to be. Perhaps flawed masterpiece would be a more appropriate term? I wouldn't go that far but it's something worth thinking about.

 

Starring Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon and Jon Bernthal

(105 minutes)

Parental advice: Coarse language, adult themes and sexual references

Additional scene during or after credits: No

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qfmAllbYC8 (Movie trailer)

(Reviewed on Thursday 3rd September, 2015)

 

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