ME and EARL and the dying GIRL  3.5***

 

        Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is similar to “The Fault is Our Stars” The film tells its story of a trio of teenage friends; Greg (Thomas Mann). the Me in the title story, Earl (RJ Cyler) and the dying girl, Rachel (Olivia Cooke). A begrudging Greg, on the insistence of his mother, befriends Rachel, who has just been diagnosed with acute leukemia. Earl, Greg's best bud and partner in amateur film-making, becomes part of this relationship, with his support and comic asides.   Their camaraderie is the crux of the film which explores friendship, death and love in the subtlest of ways.

 

This movie follows the same premise of a young girl dying of cancer, but outdistances itself from the sappy and maudlin moments with a edgy and wry sense of humor. It perfectly captures teenage life with all its non-conformity, angst and peer pressure and cleverly mixes animation and live action to help tell the story.  The dialogue is authentic and the film has a lovely quality of the real and the surreal. These well defined characters are far from the caricatures usually seen in today's teenage romantic comedies.
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The three young actors excel in their roles. RJ Cyler  as Earl, blends the cynical and vulnerable aspects into his character. Olivia Cooke keeps Rachel grounded in reality and never allows her character to exhibit any false move or wasteful overacting to convey her dilemma. Most effective is Thomas Mann, who skillfully handles Greg's mood swings and aloofness with nuance and clarity. As Greg, he has developed one of the more believable teenagers on film to date. His emotional meltdown scene adeptly conveys the anger, frustration, and sadness that adolescents can feel in today's world.


 Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is innovative and touching. This film has become an indie favorite  and rightfully so. It is well worth your attention .Since its an Indie film, it may be hard find but put it on your “to see” list.

 

Rated PG - 13 for sexual content, drug material and language.

 

Clark