Thursday, March 15, 2018

A Glass Of Wine At The Movies - Love, Simon




Love, Simon

Rating: 14A

Director: Greg Berlanti

Language: English

Length:  109 minutes

Cast: Nick Robinson, Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp

Viewing Method: Advance Screening

Synopsis: Everyone deserves a great love story. But for seventeen-year old Simon Spier it's a little more complicated: he's yet to tell his family or friends he's gay and he doesn't actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he's fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing. Directed by Greg Berlanti (Riverdale, The Flash, Supergirl), written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger (This is Us), and based on Becky Albertalli's acclaimed novel, LOVE, SIMON is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about the thrilling ride of finding yourself and falling in love.

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Love, Simon immediately feels both familiar and unique. Simon's story is one we've seen told many times before. It's your standard coming of age and falling in love tale, but it is also so much more. It's a movie that benefits from a perfect mix of great performances, writing, and directing. It's one of those movie that is just a joy to watch, and a near perfect adaptation of a book that so many people love.

Nick Robinson shines as Simon Spier. He oozes a charm and charisma that instantly makes Simon relatable to anyone watching. This movie is the kind that could change his career, and his performance is pitch perfect. There is an ease to his portrayal of Simon that ensures you don't want to take your eyes off him.

Simon is surrounded by a wonderful family and amazing friends. They are this amazing support system that he has. These characters are just as endearing as Simon. You'll wan to grab ice coffee with Simon and his friends. You'll want to eat a meal with the Spiers. These characters help enrich the movie and manage to be pretty fleshed out for secondary characters. As someone who has read the book this movie is based on, and is aware of the sequel that is coming, I was especially excited by the small nods to Leah's journey that were woven in. I hope this movie does incredibly well so we can have Leah's story as a sequel because I am not ready to leave these character's behind in either book or movie format.

The humour within this movie has a palpable energy to it. There's an immensely funny wit that is only matched by this movie's heart. It made me laugh and cry in equal measure. It's one of those rare gems that manages to be everything the trailer promises and more. A movie's strength starts with its script and great care was taken in the writing of this one. It is something that shows itself in every other element of the movie. It's evident that the people involved cared enough to get it right.

My review would not be complete without a quick mention of the soundtrack. The use of music in this movie is excellent. Music, when used effectively, sets the tone for the scene and lingers with the water after the movie is over. This movie has so many of these moments. The music just enriches a movie that is already filled with an embarrassment of them.

I was initially concerned about how the mystery would translate from book to movie. The identity of Blue, the boy Simon falls in love with via online interactions, is such a huge part of the story that it needed to be done right. There are a number of potential Blues that Simon has to navigate through, and this part of the story was done so cleverly. It skillfully gets you attached to each potential Blue, and allows for an incredibly romantic payoff that will be more than statisfying to all the rom-com fans out there.

This will, obviously, be a movie that means a lot to the LGBTQ+ community. It is the first widely released movie of its kind, and one that is long overdue. Its message is that everyone deserves a great love story, and it offers up a happy ending for those who normally do not get to see that reflected in their entertainment. There are plenty of reviews for this movie from people who are members of the LGBTQ+ community and I urge you to seek them out because of their personal connection to the story.

Love, Simon is a charming rom-com that is special for a multitude of reasons. It's a modern version of a John Hughes movie that I predict everyone will love.  It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry (sometimes at the same time), but it'll also leave your heart just a little bit fuller. 

3 comments:

  1. Great review!

    Amy :D <3

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really need to read Simon as the movie came out and everyone keeps telling me that I MUST read it NOW! I think with all the buzz for the movie that I will order the book and then watch the movie once it comes on cable. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nicole,

      The book is amazing. You're going to love it (just have some Oreos on hand while reading). Please do let me know what you think once you've read it!

      Delete

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