Ich und Earl und das Mädchen

It would be easy to criticize the fact that Me & Earl & the Dying Girl appears to have been genetically engineered to be a summer box office moneymaker (Fox Searchlight and Indian Paintbrush have already snatched up the rights for a record- breaking $12 million). It's an adaptation of a young adult novel about adolescent friendship in the midst of terminal illness, which is hot in Hollywood right now thanks to The Fault in Our Stars. Basically, I went in to this film wanting to despise it for its utter marketability. Upon seeing it, however, I was reminded that movies can be commercially successful and good at the same time—and that's okay. The film chronicles the senior year of Greg (Thomas Mann), his friend Earl (R.J. Cyler), and Rachel (Olivia Cooke), who has been diagnosed with leukemia. Though all of the teen dramedy tropes are present—awkward parents, the teacher who gets it, the exploration of high school cliques—the excellent supporting cast keeps the narrative fresh. Greg's parents (Connie Britton and Nick Offerman) add an eccentric jolt of parental weirdness to their scenes, and The Walking Dead's Jon Bernthal takes archetypal cool teacher role into some original territory with his tattoos and battle- scholar vibe. While I found myself wanting more in regards to Rachel's character, the film's treatment of her friendship with Greg is both darkly funny and realistically somber. This is one movie that it's safe to see regardless of its soon-to-be huge commercial appeal. –Alex Springer

There are about four films that can overcome the "seen it" cynicism I have, unlock my heart and make me feel genuine feelings. In other films I can appreciate that the film is beautiful and emotional, but there are only four that can really get to me. The first was Crash, the second was The Green Mile and the third was Boyhood. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl just scored the fourth slot on that extremely small list. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's film is a beautiful cocktail of wonderful things. Its quirky and charming and witty and touching and somber and delicate and completely beautiful. Its got elements of about six of my favourite films of all time, and the fact that it slam dunked Sundance doesn't even surprise me a bit.

Thomas Mann's Greg is a weirdo. Imagine that Napoleon Dynamite went to Cady Heron's school from Mean Girls, hated all the clicks and became a cynic. Mann shades what could've been a completely unlikeable protagonist with wonderful colours and depth, so much so that when his friend Earl explains to Rachel why Greg is so averse to being friends, we realise we've actually known the whole time. That's probably the most beautiful part of Gomez- Rejon's direction - he never comes out and beats you with information, he leads you gently to it and makes you realise it yourself. RJ Cyler takes Earl, a generic Pedro-type sidekick and makes him just the slacker you'd expect, but with incredible qualities underneath. Olivia Cooke makes the audience love her with her quietly devastating portrayal of a girl with leukaemia. All I can say is that she is a worth recipient of my annual Patricia Arquette Award For Character I Most Want to Hug.

Considering this film has maybe one actor I'd ever heard of, there's a huge pool of talent even in the supporting cast. John Bernthal is good in everything. Nick Offerman is amazing as Greg's stay at home intellectual dad, and Molly Shannon steals every scene as Rachel's emotionally destroyed mother. Keep an eye out for Matt Bennett's utterly bizarre but hilarious Scott Mayhew as well.

Jesse Andrews' screenplay strikes an incredible balance between comedy and drama. Its very easy for a film about cancerous teens to become completely depressing and tedious, but the witty dialogue, incredible spikes of humour and quirky characters make the film beautiful. Andrews isn't trying to make a statement, he's just telling a story about a normal boy who strikes up a friendship with a normal girl. The dialogue is as real as any movie I've ever seen, and the use of minimal effects and hand-held camera really created an authenticity that made me walk away feeling like I've just watched a highly personal reflection, and not a work of fiction.

I saw it three times. Yes,it was painful because we were all that kid -- geek, awkward, nowhere with girls.

The movie is honest, funny, and I will see Olivia Cooke's unreal face in front of me for months. (And she did shave her head; I wondered about that.) R.J. Cyler gave perfect balance to the lead actor's awkward role.

The best thing about this movie is the writing; it crackles at times with insight into the outsider's life.

I am much aggrieved that it only earned four million at the box office nationally. It's worth a lot more.

"We're not even friends." Greg (Mann) is finally a senior. He as survived high school by trying to be invisible to everyone and not causing any drama. When his mother tells him that a classmate (Cooke) has been diagnosed with cancer and that he should hang out with her he hesitates. What starts off as something he is forced to do actually helps him to become who he truly is. If you have teenagers this is a movie they should watch. The movie is a mix of Fault in our Stars and Perks of Being a Wallflower. There is humor and drama in this but the best part about it is that it feels real and nothing about it is forced. The movie could have easily been cheesy and almost after-school-special-like but it stays away from that and becomes something that is truly special. It isn't anything all that original but the writing and acting really make this one of the better movies of this genre and I recommend it. Overall, a movie that could have been very hokey but instead turned out to be very real and heartfelt. A movie teens should watch. If you liked Fault in our Stars you will love this movie. I give it a high B+.

I have been looking forward to this movie for a while. I saw the trailer and was instantly gripped by it. I got to see it early at the Dallas Film Festival three months before it was actually released. The film was incredible. The dialog was amazing, If you enjoyed fast wit like Juno, then you'll have a blast with this one. It's a must see, and deals with cancer in such a touching way. The acting was amazing. Nick Offerman and Connie Britton were hilarious and touching. Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, and RJ Cyler were also brilliant in every way. The director, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, did an amazing job here. Every scene had it's own feel to it that made the film feel unique.

It captures high school in a great way that I didn't expect. It shows cliques in a new light, and it gives a great representation of how the protagonist deals with it. The film changes tone with ease. With a gradual enough change that doesn't feel forced or awkward. It's an amazing movie.