An inventive coming-of-age story.
Nowadays, it seems like coming-of-age stories that focus on teen angst and mortality are being mass produced on an assembly line. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl could have been cut from the same mold.
But director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and screenwriter Jesse Andrews turn most of the genre’s tropes upside-down, creating a remarkable piece of filmmaking that rarely shies away from taking chances.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl also benefits from a young and relatively unknown cast that delivers impressively raw and organic performances.
Leading the way is Thomas Mann, playing Greg, an awkward high school senior who keeps to himself. Greg’s only friend is Earl (RJ Cyler), a quiet kid who lives on the poor side of town.
The two spend most of their days making parodies of classic films, but that all changes when Greg’s mother (Connie Britton) forcefully requests that he spend some time with Rachel (Olivia Cooke), an old acquaintance who has been diagnosed with leukemia.
At first, Greg and Rachel don’t exactly see eye to eye, but the two create an inspirational and lasting bond after learning they have much more in common than they originally thought.
Even if that narrative doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, you won’t be able to turn away from this creatively shot film.
The aesthetics are simply amazing. Cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung uses tracking shots, long takes, unique camera angles and distinctive composition techniques to tell the story with flair. In particular, keep an eye out for scenes involving Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, and Greg and Earl accidentally eating drug-laced food.
The filmmakers deserve plenty of credit for rejuvenating a tired genre, but they sometimes appear to be striving too hard for a quirky, indie feel. As a result, the end lacks a satisfying emotional payoff, taking a predictable turn.
Despite that, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is more about the journey than the destination. And it’s well worth the ride.
