That’s part of the book’s inspiring touch. Though supported by Woodley’s subtle narration, ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ relentlessly wears its heart on its sleeve. It’s a welcome interlude where the reality of suffering is expanded to include bitterness, cynicism and even a political dimension when the lovers visit Anne Frank’s house.
But the original story, faithfully honoured here, is bolder than its set-up implies: their shared love of a novel about a child with cancer leads the ailing couple from Indianapolis in the US to Amsterdam to meet the book’s reclusive author (Willem Dafoe). He puts his texting, vulnerable lovers front and centre, and even manages to coach Laura Dern, playing Hazel’s mother, away from her familiar smeary cry-face. The lion’s share of the credit should go to 35-year-old director Josh Boone (‘Stuck in Love’). Even as Hazel meets and falls for upbeat charmer Gus (Ansel Elgort, Woodley’s ‘Divergent’ co-star) in a kids cancer support group, there’s believable banter between them that redeems a long foreseen outcome, known to anyone who’s ever waded into the salty pool of movies like ‘Love Story’. Her effortless regular-girl charm turns oxygen-tank-carrying Hazel into a fully fleshed-out teenager. The film’s linchpin is actress Shailene Woodley (already the saviour of several iffy films, including ‘Divergent’). It finds its own understated way to earn tears, and that’s a tricky thing to pull off given the material. Courting criticism within its opening moments when Hazel’s narration informs us matter-of-factly that this isn’t a movie. The courage that it takes for a person to take cancer as part of their lives and the fears they create. The Fault In Our Stars is a fabulous book about a young teenage girl who has been diagnosed with lung cancer and attends a cancer support group. A story about 2 teens (Hazel and Gus) who meet at a cancer support group might not immediately seem like something you would want to watch but it is funny at. Reviews of The Fault in Our Stars Nicholas Bell, Ion Cinema. The Fault in our Stars is not just a book that portrays the hard times that a teen or any person at any age goes through cancer physically, but also what actually true love is and the power it has. This adaptation of John Green’s bestselling 2012 young adult novel about a teenage girl in love and living with cancer is far from the shameless emotional pummelling it might have been. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green - review.