Movie Review: IF I STAY

IF I STAY
Director: R.J. Cutler
Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, Jamie Blackley, Mireille Enos, Joshua Leonard, Stacy Keach

Who’s ready for another romance novel turned movie about two young lovers and tragedy? Mia (Moretz) comes from a musically inclined family. Her parents (Enos and Leonard) are young at heart, and her dad used to play in a rock band but stepped down once his family became his top priority. Their natural talent was passed down to Mia, but she gravitated toward the cello at an extremely young age. For two rocker parents, it took some time getting used to the sounds of a bow and strings instead an amp turned up. Her love of the cello carried on into high school and is her sole focus in life. Adam (Blackley) is a fellow classmate and known for fronting a popular rock band. He overhears her practicing in the band room one day and is immediately attracted to both her and her music. She’s the awkward, shy type who can’t really believe that someone so “cool” would be attracted to her, but nonetheless, a relationship is born and a teen romance ensues between these two musicians.

On a snowy day, it is announced that school has been closed due to the weather and Mia’s folks decide to play hooky to be with her and her brother. They go for a drive before the snow picks up and their car crashes into another vehicle coming around a curve in the road. Mia wakes up and realizes she is having an out of body experience as she looks down at her body and realizes she is in a coma. The film goes back and forth in the story’s timeline as we go through the journey of Mia and Adam’s relationship and how she copes with the aftermath of the accident.

If you are thinking this movie sounds just like every other teen soap movie, you aren’t too off base. It is based on the popular book by Gayle Forman, and there is a Nicholas Sparks type feel to it with its love story struck by tragedy angle. I’ll give this one credit for being a bit more plausible than Sparks’ stories that have been become so darn predictable and saccharine. The car accident happens very quickly into the movie instead of being used as a third act game changer. If you are familiar with this genre, there are some clichéd moments you can see coming a mile away. Of course Adam is the confident guy type and Mia has her insecure moments with him. They each have their heightened “it’s the end of the world” moments in their relationship that you want to roll your eyes at. She has an audition at Julliard while he contemplates a big move for his band on the opposite side of the country. This will no doubt turn some moviegoers off. I am willing to be more forgiving and give some of these scenes a pass as this story really is told through the perspective of two teenagers who are bound to be whiny and have their angst at times. It’s nice to see a teen couple in a movie that actually would be a couple in the real world. There are too many movies where we’ve got some dumb jock that falls for the nerdy girl because he’s “just not like those other guys”. In If I Stay, we’ve got two students that have a shared love of music and the arts, and they actually make sense together as a couple.

Chloe Grace Moretz and Jamie Blackley play our two young lovers. It’s been interesting watching Moretz’s career as she’s grown up in front of the camera from films like Kick-Ass and Let Me In to last year’s Carrie remake. She’s only seventeen so I applaud the fact she’s actually playing someone age appropriate. Maybe we are seeing a trend where high school students in movies are actually played by teenage actors. She has stated in interviews that she likes playing these types of complex and damaged characters. While I understand the need to challenge oneself as an actor, I can’t quite seem to get on the Chloe Grace Moretz train yet. She seems to be a hot commodity, but I feel like she may be choosing and fighting for the wrong roles. Like Carrie, she always seems to be trying so hard to get certain emotions out that she comes across as pushing it too far into a forced melodramatic territory. While Jamie Blackley has some credits under his belt, this is his first major lead role. He definitely fares better and seems more suited for the role than she does. His heavier scenes feel a bit more raw and honest. Mireille Enos and Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project) make the most out of their smaller roles as Mia’s parents. They are clearly having fun with the rocker, hip, and funny parents that are loveable and mature despite their backgrounds. I would have loved to have seen more of their relationship and background explored in the flashback scenes. Enos has been really making a name for herself these past few years with roles in Big Love, The Killing, and World War Z.

This film will inevitably be compared to The Fault in Our Stars, which elevated the teen romance movie to a whole different level. If I Stay didn’t bring me to the ugly cry, but I was still engaged most of the time. It’s hard not to be moved by the end of the movie, especially after Stacy Keach’s heartbreaking monologue. It will resonate with anyone that has spent time in a hospital with a loved one not knowing if or when they may pass away. Classical music is a key factor of the movie with Mia’s passion for the cello. Moretz did learn how to play it but there’s a body double for some of the more complex pieces she plays. It really reminded me how much I love cello music, yet I never take the time to listen to it or use it to unwind to after a long day. I may just have to go to the library and look for some Yo-Yo Ma CDs.

Is It Worth Your Trip to the Movies? It’s better than some teen soap stories, but suffers due to its lead actress and predictability factor.

RATING: 3 out of 5 TICKET STUBS

Movie Review: THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
Writer/Director: Stephen Chbosky
Starring: Ezra Miller, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Mae Whitman, Paul Rudd, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Nina Dobrev

Charlie (Lerman) is only a freshman and he has already had a life most high schoolers have not experienced. On the outside, he seems to come from a traditional family with normal parents (Walsh and McDermott), his older sister Candace (Dobrev) who is a senior, and an older brother who is off in college. On the inside, he believes his parents do not understand him, his one and only friend has recently committed suicide, and he is continually flooded by memories of his Aunt Helen (Melanie Lynskey). He has also spent time in a treatment facility for mental illness. His only way of dealing with his troubles is by writing letters to an anonymous "Dear Friend".

For a student like Charlie, his first day of freshman year is awkward and frustrating. He wants to lay low and blend in, but all the while he feels like he stands out for being the crazy one. In his English class, he knows all the right answers but won't participate. Mr. Anderson (Rudd) sees the spark in his eye and pulls him aside after class. A connection is formed between the two, even though Charlie is apprehensive about having his English teacher be his one and only friend. At lunch he gets rejected to sit with any groups, even the table with his sister. He meets seniors Patrick (Miller) and his half sister Sam (Watson) and they seem to be the only ones to accept him. Patrick is an extroverted out gay man who is not afraid to be who is he is despite what his fellow classmates think about him. Sam is another outsider even though she is sweet, fun, and has great taste in music.

The rest of freshman year seems to treat Charlie fairly well. He starts to feel more comfortable with himself thanks to being welcomed by Patrick, Sam, and the rest of their clan. They form a tight bond and keep each other sane and grounded. They participate in live action midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, exchange Secret Santa gifts, drink, experiment with pot, and have mindless games of Truth or Dare. Charlie continues to be challenged by Mr. Anderson as he exchanges books with him opening his mind to the likes of "Walden","The Catcher in the Rye", and "The Great Gatsby". Even with all the good around him, Charlie cannot fully escape the past as memories of Aunt Helen still linger and sit with him.

It may seem like your standard teen flick, but rest assured there is so much more behind it. This is not a story about angst-filled, whiny teens complaining about their lives. There is a depth and honesty to it that we don't always see with these types of movies or television shows on the CW. Chbosky has written and directed the movie based on his own book. Rarely do we see an author write and direct a film adaptation of one of their works. The script is full of sharp dialogue and witty humor perfectly matching the tone and mood of each of the characters. Many of your standard teen sagas can often seem trite and boring with unbelievable characters. They are either too rich, too smart, or too dumb for their own good. Chbosky's characters feel like they are real people. They feel like friends I had in high school. With great characters comes great performances. Ezra Miller gives Patrick a good mix of exuberance and flamboyancy without feeling like your typical gay movie teen. He is proving to be a stellar young actor with this and his phenomenal portrayal as the title character in last year's We Need to Talk About Kevin. The Perks of Being a Wallflower may not be everyone's type of movie but it definitely had a lasting impression on me. If you have ever felt like a wallflower yourself, I think you will feel touched as well. It is one of my favorite movies of the year so far.

RATING: **** 1/2 (4.5 out of 5 stars)