Yo, él y Raquel

"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+.

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

It's easy to dismiss such a quirky film as Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, the latest independent film to get a release after making quite an impression at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize in the drama category.

Make the film too quirky and you could alienate an audience however, a subtle amount of quirkiness combined with a good blend of comedy and drama will give you a film like Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, which ends up being both irresistible and infectious to its audience.

Greg (Thomas Mann) is a high school student who just wants to get through school without associating himself with any of the various cliques or making enemies. Along with his friend Earl (RJ Cyler), Greg spends his spare time making parodies of their favourite classic movies.

When he learns that his childhood friend, Rachel (Olivia Cooke), has been diagnosed with leukemia, he is forced by his overbearing parents to befriend her in her time of need. Through this friendship, Greg soon finds his outlook on life altered.

There is always the uneasy feeling of laughing at a film that centres around a girl suffering from cancer. There is great care taken though by director, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, in making sure that the subject gets the delicate treatment it deserves with the perfect combination of comedy and drama.

He is aided by a delightful screenplay from Jesse Andrews, the author of the book the film is adapted from, full of enough wit, charm and quirky cutaway moments, such as the feeling of when the hot girl at school talks to you, to leave you with a smile on your face.

The film is elevated to another level by the three main performances from Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler and Olivia Cooke, all showing fine range in both the dramatic and comedic departments. They are supported quite wonderfully by the likes of Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Jon Bernthal and Molly Shannon, and keep your ears peeled for a funny voice cameo from Hugh Jackman that fits the quirkiness of the film so well.

Critics love it and so should audiences, I'm just hoping people decide to go and see it instead of some of the inane drivel that Hollywood produces these days. It really does deserve all the success it can get.

I saw Me & Earl last week at Sundance and have not stopped thinking about it. That is a long (6 day) shelf life. What more can one ask from a film? The writing and execution is elite quality. All scenes seem necessary. Parent/child relationships, peer relationships, teacher/student relationships all are captured in humorous and touching ways. Life and death realities are also visited through the lens of "kids" who make as much sense as possible when facing the grim possibilities of severe illness.

Sorry to be redundant from other reviews but this darn film has HEART and should be required viewing for anyone who sees at least one movie a year.

Thanks to the team that made this one happen.

To finish watching a movie you had no intention of seeing, feeling all alone, tears rolling... worth it thou