When I’m watching a new movie I’m always looking for a special feeling, one which is hard to describe, because there are hundreds of reasons why you get that feeling. Fortunately, it is easier to specify which movies are responsible for it and in this film, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is one which managed to create that feeling for me quickly.
The “me” in the title is Greg (Thomas Mann), a teenager who has the perfect strategy to survive high school: Make sure you do not make real friends, but that you talk to all the different groups out there, without having others notice it. It works well for him, but because of that he has no strong ties. The only one he knows since kindergarten is Earl (RJ Cyler) who he calls a “co-worker” because he says he has no friends. Together with Earl he has been making parodies of famous films for years, which he shows to no one, with titles such as Anatomy of a Burger, Burden of Screams, The Seven Seals and Vere’d He Go? When his mother hears that a girl at his school, Rachel (Olivia Cooke), has leukemia, she forces him to visit her. What begins as a forced visit, slowly grows into a friendship, but as Greg also makes clear to the viewer: This is not a film about love. So don’t expect another The Fault in Our Stars.
This films works on so many levels. First, it adresses the movie lover in so many ways. Of course, the aforementioned parodies are a good example, but Greg and Earl are also big fans of Werner Herzog. When Greg at one point even imitates his voice I was grinning from ear to ear. There was even a trailer done with “Herzog’s” voice promoting the film:
It is a film which is filled with humor, in the form of stop motion animated moments, strange characters (like Greg’s father or Rachel’s mother) and unexpected situations. Yet there are, which is no surprise given the title, enough dramatic moments. During the movie Greg constantly manipulates the viewer by creating certain expectations or to show what may happen. At every level Me and Earl and the Dying Girl succeeds and surprises the viewer. The film isn’t only a feast for the eyes, but also one for the heart and to me that created that feeling I so long for. A movie not to be missed.
This was a good movie, one of the times I prefer the film over the book. I wished there was more of RJ Cyler though. I know the focus is between Greg and Rachel, but I enjoyed the scenes with the three of them together.
Yeah, her role was a bit smaller but I didn’t mind that.
Ok enough of this. I have heard so many good things about this film. I need to sit down and watch it. It sounds intriguing enough but the numerous good reviews have won me over.
Happy to hear that this was the final review that gave you that push to watch it…you better enjoy it or else… 😉
I liked the film but not nearly as much as you did. It was “cute” and heartwarming, but did it leave a lasting impact on me? I can’t say it did. Perhaps it had the feel of other films I have already seen that touch on similar subjects, but that replaces the romance with a hip and “indie” vibe it so clearly pursues. It also did not help that I never truly got a fully realized sense of the bond between the two main characters. In fact, the film goes back to some moments they shared together towards the end, and to confirm my thoughts, the film had only two or three to go back to.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I get your points and that’s something I’ve heard others mention as well and I can see it, but it didn’t bother me.
I did enjoy this movie but maybe not quite as much as you. I liked that it focused on friendship rather than love and went for a slightly different take on the usual ending, especially compared (almost inevitably) to Fault in our stars.
Exactly, it was a very original take which sidestepped quite a few cliches.