Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

This was one of the best, if not outright the best book to movie adaptations I have ever seen. It had been a couple of years since I read the book so I really only remember major parts of the plot. However, after seeing this movie and immediately thinking it was one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen, I decided to reread the book. This movie reorders some of the events but in a way that helps with pacing. There's really only one major plot change from the book that I won't go into detail but I feel works well for movie in a way the book dealt with it. I would recommend this movie to all my friends and look forward to owning it to watch on repeat.

I am so grateful I got the chance to watch this film through TIFF's digital screening. I have followed this movie's journey since 2018 and it was surreal to sit and finally enjoy this story, made so beautifully and with so much love.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is tender and real. It doesn't only show the characters, it sees them. It is gorgeously constructed with dreamy cinematography by Akis Konstantakopoulos, and a beautiful soundtrack to match. Max and Reese truly understood their characters. They captured the quirks, the deadpan jokes, and the mannerisms of teenage boys figuring themselves out. They are awkward, they are silly, they are young. They don't know who they are and they piece it together on screen, in small stumbles and in leaps. They are the perfect representations of Aristotle and Dante.

It is written with love, it is filmed with love, it is directed with love. After watching for the second time in one night, with a headache from crying, I felt like love had been given back to me, too. When a story is so beautiful, it demands to be seen over and over, and this is one of those. It feels like a huge, crushing, beautiful hug. Both fans of the book and those who have never picked it up will love this adaptation; it holds something for everyone.

There is something truly special about this film. It's sweet, it's cute, it pulls at your heartstrings, it ALMOST made my eyes water, and I loved every second of it! Max Pelayo (Aristotle) took this role and tan away with it. He did a remarkable job and I was genuinely impressed. His acting career going forward looks very promising and I'm excited to see what's next for him. Reese Gonzales was also good, but there are a few moments here and there where it felt like the acting was overdone. I picked up that Dante was meant to be this fun, charming, outgoing, quirky individual, but some scenes just seemed unnatural. That's me being very knick-picky though; he's still a young actor. It's definitely one to watch!

It's been a while since I've seen such a gentle wholesome film. I wish such a film existed when I was a teen. Superb performances from the cast, but major kudos to the young leads. The film hinges on their believability, likability, and chemistry - and they definitely rose to the challenge. I hope to see both of them in more projects.

I love the subtlety and naturalism of the film. Proof that lgbtq themed stories do not need to be pushy or preachy. Instead it felt relatable and real.

The cinematography is beautiful and naturalistic. The editing is mostly efficient and practical but there are moments with a dreamlike quality.

It should be required viewing for anyone lgbtq - but especially young people who need to see positive representation. Like I said, I wish a movie like this would have existed when I was a kid.

Sweet, moving, gentle, honest, beautifully shot. Aitch alberto is a clearly talented filmmaker and reese gonzales is perfect in his role as dante. Eugenio derbez is also great in this. It's clear that the people involved genuinely care about the book and making an accurate adaptation. If it had slowed down and allowed more time for background and character development, this would have probably been a 10/10. It just felt rushed. We needed to spend more time with the characters to understand their nuance. Nevertheless, as a huge fan of the book, i enjoyed this a lot. I have notes but i will probably rewatch.