Si je reste

I thought it was pretty good the first time. To be honest, I was half asleep when I first saw it, to the extent that I didn't realize I had seen it just based on the name of it, so I accidentally started streaming it today without realizing I had seen it before several months ago. I know, this doesn't sound supportive of this movie. For the record, I almost never watch movies more than once...I get too bored. After it started this second time, I did realize immediately that I'd seen it before, but I figured I'd stop it the moment I became bored, which I knew was inevitable given that I'd seen it before. Well, somehow I watched it all again, in its entirety. This time, I saw more depth than I'd seen before. Bottom line, this is worth watching. Of course, it's not perfect, and the main character looks like she's 12 rather than 17 or 18, which is a little bit creepy. But it has heart, and it's beautiful. Granted, I don't totally agree with the ending, but up until then it brought up questions that were very meaningful for anyone who has experienced loss. Kudos to this movie for being unexpectedly watchable for a 2nd run, and for actually being better another time around.

I was really excited to watch this after seeing the trailer, and not to say that I was disappointed but I was kind of expecting a bit more. The whole story basically revolves around her first love and whether she should stay. Though I appreciate that it wasn't as lovey-dovey as most young romances (or high-school relationships) tend to be, I would've liked if there was more to the story other than that.

The music element was pretty cool, and I wonder if she really plays the cello herself, because it looked really authentic. Same with the other actors in the band.

The acting was pretty good, it wasn't spectacular but it was good enough for the film. Moretz surprises me by the range of her characters, as I first knew her from Kick-Ass which is profoundly different. Blackley does a good job too, though I guess I didn't really feel the connection between the two,and maybe that's why I felt that there was something missing from the film. I didn't sympathize with them and so thought that the film was just all right. Though the parents had real character to them and they played the part of a family really well.

Another thing I noticed was that when Hall was a 'spirit' people still tended to move out of her way and it was really obvious. There was this one scene where her friend opens a door and she pushes it a bit further as if for the person behind...which was Hall as a spirit. That was not good. Do people actually see or hear her? If not, it should be consistent throughout. And it also seemed as if she could touch things, though people didn't notice.

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Anyone interested in this film already knows the premise by now if they have read this far, so I won't rehash it.

All I will say is that this film could have easily been contrived and cheesy and hokey and clichéd but rather, the end is result is truly one of the finest, most real representations of youth and love I have seen in a long time. And the fact that it seemed so genuine is exactly why I have not cried in a film so much since...."The Perks of Being a Wallflower." Chloe Grace Moretz has already proved she is a force to be reckoned with, but by an accomplishment like playing the key character in a film that was made to be a tearjerker without coming across as completely laughable shows what a strong actress this young woman truly is.

Excellent, relatable script, wonderful direction and perfectly edited, the fact the a bunch of tween girls went "Huh? What? That's the end?" when the credits began to roll proved that R.J. Cutler knew exactly when to end this film at the precise moment. There was no need to overstay the welcome.

Make sure you have some Kleenex.

If I stay is a beautiful, moving film about a teenage girl and the life or death decision she must make. Mia is a teenage girl that has a wonderful, quirky family, a boyfriend who loves her to pieces, and a bright, ambitious future. But, all of that changes when she and her family are in a fatal car accident. While Mia's body is in a coma, her mind journeys back to all of her memories, triumphs, heart breaks and future. She has to make the decision on whether or not to fight and stay alive, or let go and leave this world. Will Mia stay?

I love this movie. It made me laugh, cry and it helped me to see all of the good in my own life that I should cherish, because you never know when it could all change. The cinematography is beautiful. Most of the film is filled with memories that Mia has and the way they are portrayed is very neat. The music is also beautiful. Mia is a cellist and a lot of the film focuses on her dreams of becoming a successful musician, so the film is filled with beautiful classical music.

My Favorite character is Mia played by Chloe Moretz. This film shows so many aspects of Mia's life, so it's easy to find something to relate to. She has a great passion for playing the cello and dedicates most of her life to it. She has difficulties relating to her parents and even her boyfriend since their musicals tastes are far more edgy than hers. She has to face her insane loss and she has to choose between many different things in life. There's something about her life that I think anyone can relate to, so she's a wonderful character. Chloe does a wonderful job portraying everything she's going through and she moved me to tears many times.

This film makes me think about my own family and everything I would do for them. It makes me think of my life and all the joys and sorrows I've faced. There was not a dry eye in the audience because this film provokes unique memories for every individual. I felt especially connected to Mia's family because I too have a younger brother and am very close with my parents, so I was very touched by Mia's situation.

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 to 18 because of the intense emotions and mature content. Make sure you check out If I Stay in theaters August 22nd.

Reviewed by Raven D., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.

"Sometimes you make choices and sometimes they make you." Mia has a great and loving family. A boyfriend who is in love with her and she is one step away from her dream of going to Juilliard. All that changes after a car wreck leaves her alone and fighting for her life. Watching her family and friends at the hospital and looking back over her life she must decide to stay living and chase her dreams or let go and be with her family. First thing I have to say is that while this is a sad movie it wasn't as depressing as I was expecting. The movie did a really good job of making it emotional without feeling forced. The movie was able to stay away from becoming overly melodramatic or too cheesy. On the other hand though the movie was a little generic in some parts and you were able to see certain things coming. The whole movie you are trying to guess whether she will stay or go and I had a feeling that the choice would make or break the movie. I could see points for both sides and I have to say that I thought the ending was perfect. Overall, a movie that wasn't cheesy but it was a little generic in some parts. The ending was perfect and really helped the movie. This was better then I was expecting. I give it a B.