The darling of the Sundance Film Festival, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl has finally reached our shores.
The film is based on the novel of the same name, and it won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for Drama.
It's the story of Greg and Earl and Rachel. Greg is just trying to make it through high school by flying as far under the radar as he can, casual mates with everyone but not getting too involved.
He has got his best mate Earl of course, but that's as deep as Greg goes.
All that changes when Greg's mother makes him visit Rachel down the road. Rachel has Leukaemia.
The friendship they form is a rare and beautiful thing, one you don't see in too many movies, and along with the freshness of the storytelling itself and the performances, makes it easy to see why this film is getting so much love.
Greg and Earl spend most of their spare time making horrible and hilarious spoof homages to classic films, so it makes sense that they will end up turning their filmmaking skills for a much better cause. They start making a film for Rachel.
This film deals with its subject matter so much better than many others of this ilk, but with so much going on, there remained a certain sense of detachment from me.
From the oftentimes distracting and self-aware cinematography, to the fact the whole story seems at pains to stay cool at the expense of drawing the audience into its emotional heart.
No question though, there is plenty to love about Earl – plenty. Cinephiles especially will lap this up, a film that is certainly the perfect palate-cleanser amidst the big Hollywood blockbuster season.
Four stars.
3 News
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl:: Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon:: Starring: Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler, Jon Bernthal, Connie Britton, Nick Offerman:: Rating: M - Offensive language:: Running Time: 105 minutes:: Release Date: In cinemas now