Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Five Feet Apart 

This is one of the best teen romance films I’ve seen in a while! First off a lot of people are going to compare this to the Fault In Our Stars which I don’t think is fair as they are both very different illnesses I understand the similarities in the tone but the story and way it’s executed is very different from that film. Now that I’ve established that this film really impressed the hell out of me I didn’t have really any expectations for this film I won’t lie but after seeing it I’m glad I did see it as yes the films backdrop is a teen romance but their is such a deep rooted tone to it that really holds the film and its ability to be as accurate as possible to this illness. As many people are not well educated or aware of this illness this film centres the plot around the illness instead of having the romance being the centre and the illness being the secondary plot point here it’s the main focus of the film and I love that as you walk out of the film knowing more about it then you did walking in. Sure their are things that are done for dramatic value as it is still a Hollywood production but for 99% of the film it’s very great at showing the stages and pains of having this illness and telling people your not alone and we hear you. So that aspect really got me into the film and grabbed my attention in a way a teen romance drama hasn’t been able to do in a very long time. 

Secondly, This film has fantastic lead actors at the centre of it really contributing incredible commitment to the characters their portraying onscreen. With Haley  Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse giving authentic performances that felt very genuine and emotionally driven that captures the audiences attention. If the chemistry between the two leads dose not work the film fails and their chemistry was electric. They showcase such great banter that comes across as very believable and their able to transition from looking at one another as friends and blossom to more passionate feelings in a very smooth way that just works greatly. They both bring very different things to the film emotionally as Haley brings the Heart of it through her performance and Cole brings the Soul with very deep and at times Cynical views on things. Which made the two of them perfect when onscreen together because their both giving off very different attributes and when together it makes for great humour at times and even for some of the more emotionally driven moments as well. So their performances are a massive aspect to why this film is so enjoyable to me. 

Lastly, The themes executed in this film was very well handled and done as it dose not give you your typical cookie cutter happy ending that leaves the audience satisfied as this film ends with a very emotional ending and I loved the approach to it. As many romance and especially teen films always feel a need to end the film on this positive note yes it is nice but if you can service the characters and the story in a way that is realistic in its execution take that route as it will be more hard hitting for the audience and show that your able to go another route and still be effective which this film dose incredibly well. It is able to give a very realistic view on how something like this would happen and I give it massive credit for going the route it did as many films of this genre wouldn’t. As the film is able to show an educate the viewer on the illness then get you introduced to these characters then fall for them and then they break your heart. By its more authentic approach to the story it had me more invested into the characters and the story around them because it felt so rooted in reality by staying as truthful to the Disease their tackling and then layering it with great emotional and romantic layers to wrap you up with the film hit me harder emotionally and kept me intrigued to where things would end up by its unique approach to the story. 

Lastly, This film hits you like a punch to the chest by its very real and authentic approach to the subject at hand With committed performances by its leads bringing fantastic depth and emotion to it with also great brushes of romance as well this truly is one of the best and most effective teen romance films I’ve seen since the Spectacular now and the perks of being a wallflower this film is terrific and I recommend everyone go see it. 

This film centres around two people diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and one out of many rules is to keep 6 feet apart at all times due to the dangers of catching the other’s bacteria and when these two slowly fall for one another they face the incredible hardship of wanting to be with one another but can’t even touch one another 

Rated PG - 13 : Thematic Elements, language and suggestive Material 

Haley Lu Richardson : Richardson brings a star-making performance to the full front of this film. Haley has been an Actress that’s been around for a good while showing up in a small part in the film Split and then with last years Support The Girls she’s starting to really establish a name for herself around tinsel town. Here she really is full centre and shows that she’s here to stay and shows people that she can be the lead of a film and get you gripped by her acting abilities as she dose it greatly here. She plays Stella a young woman who has Cystic Fibrosis and she plays the character in such a deep and emotionally complex way. She shines onscreen by her ability to commit herself fully to the role and character and really showing as authentic as she can the pains emotionally someone with CF would go through. As she shows great layers and a great arc throughout the film showing the ups and downs of her journey. She has a great ability to be able to switch her emotions within moments or within a single scene as she can be so optimistic and hopeful and then be so full of frustration and throw things out of sadness and then can have such sparkle in her eyes and see the love in her eyes she just really shows the many layers to her emotional ability’s and to the character at hand. As she really made the character felt lived in and you bought into her performance the moment she was onscreen as she makes her dialogue crackle and shine as she Brings such passion emotion and life to the lines she speaks through the film and makes it feel so impactful. She’s so emotive with her eyes and theirs a moment in the last scene of the film you see her become emotional and she doesn’t say a word it’s all conveyed through her facial expression and she was able to get me so invested in that moment because she was able to show such raw emotion with just her eyes and not even saying a word which is amazing. She also has great chemistry with her co star Cole Sprouse as their onscreen chemistry just is electric and you can see that spark when their onscreen together it is fantastic you really pull and invest for them as they make their relationship seem so natural. Haley brings a emotionally charged to the front of this film while staying as truthful and respectful to the people who have CF and she shows great depth and captivates you with her star making turn in this film as she brings great charisma and energy that makes you not able to take your eyes off of her she’s incredible in this film. 

Cole Sprouse : Cole brings a very different performance we’re used to seeing him in and it’s incredible! Here he plays the co - lead to the film as someone who also has cystic fibrosis and the difference in his performance he brings compared to Haley’s is his emotional execution and approach. As he is very cynical at times with his outlook on his illness and is not very optimistic until the film goes on as when he first meet him he’s very closed off and then opens up when he meets Haley’s character. And the arc he has through the film is fantastic as we also are seeing Cole in a climate we haven’t seen him before and he shows sides to him emotionally that he has channeled in previous projects prior to this. He is so respectful to the CF community and did what he had to do to portray them as respectful and authentic as possible as he even lost weight to gain the look of how someone with CF would look he took it very seriously and I respect that. He has that Cole charm he brings to the character that makes you smile as he does have moments of humour and it works at the appropriate moments as his timing is perfect when he does use humour because he knows when to and not to use it and when to pull the emotional moments through and show that onscreen he was very good at being emotionally aware and knowing when to show what side of him and Cole brings such wit and emotion to his delivery as you can hear the passion he’s bringing to the character onscreen as he can be charming in one scene and then just very emotionally upset by the situation he is in and completely isolate himself and he commits himself fully to every single frame as he’s using all of his energy to do it justice as when you see him cry or on the brink of tears you feel that and it never feels forced but so natural and realistic as Cole made his performance feel so real which made me more invested in his character by his ability to execute them onscreen with his sheer raw emotional powers and great respect and charisma. He shows so many hard hitting things to the screen we are not used to seeing Cole bring and I hope he dose more dramas as he shows after tackling a very difficult role that he can do drama and I hope he goes after more dramatic roles as he truly shines amazingly well in them. Overall Cole brings a performance unlike anything he’s done before that truly will amaze you. 

Justin Baldoni : Justin has directed this film very very well! This is coming from a filmmaker I am not that familiar with and after seeing his work here I’m excited to see what comes next as he shows here amazingly well that he’s capable of bringing authentic imagery to the screen. Here he tackles the illness that is cystic fibrosis and he doesn’t sugar coat the material but really shows a realistic depiction of the disease and the very painful hardships people face with it and I respected his approach to it. As the entire film takes place in a hospital and he has romance tones intertwined in it but he keeps the illness the centre of the film and the romance aspect as the secondary plot point to the film. Their are moments of humour and moments of sadness he shows the full spectrum of emotions in the film and handles them so well. As well as getting great performances and chemistry as well from his cast as they all give fantastic work and make the characters feel real and lived in. He roots the film in reality and leaves the film with a very emotionally heartbreaking ending as he shows that sometimes you don’t get happy endings and i liked he went that route as it hits you harder as you don’t expect it to go that way and it does and he made it even more effective emotionally by doing so. The dialogue also felt very natural and organic and he just captures this heartbreaking story with love and sadness so well and it’s not all sadness their are genuine moments of joy and romance and I love that he was able to balance out all of those tones and really not like one out Weigh the other he did a marvellous job at tackling a subject on a illness that isn’t discussed in films and he pulls it off with great respect and direction.