Me Earl and the Dying Girl

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, 2015

IMDB

3/5

With a title like "Me Earl and the Dying Girl", you probably immediately anticipate something snappy, and the title itself almost sounds like a bad television sitcom starring Jason Lee. While the title may get you excited for a potential zombie rom-com like My Boyfriend's Back (deep pull alert), alas, it's a film about a girl with cancer. But hold up. It's more of the anti-film to last year's I dare you not to cry tearjerker A Fault in Our Stars. Fault puts the weight of the world on a relationship of two young kids stricken with cancer. Me Earl is more realistic in terms of showing a relationship between two people without being manipulative with oxygen tubes and Vance Joy songs. It even has hints of Jason Reitman's beloved snappy hipster-film Juno.

The movie focuses largely on high-schooler Greg (Thomas Mann). Greg is admittedly a neutral force in the world. He passes swiftly through the halls of the high school. He feels it's unnecessary to get involved with one particular clique of people, which may upset his balancing act that he has carefully orchestrated over his time there. A side effect of this is he never has to fully engage with another human on a deeply emotional level. So when his parents inform him of classmate Rachel's illness (Rachel being played by the delightful Olivia Cooke), he is concerned, but not DEEPLY concerned. He is pressured to hang out with Rachel, and humorously, they both acknowledge the obligation.

Greg's narration early in the film gives you the heads up that it's not going to be a cheesy love story. Instead the film for the most part runs on a different kind of energy. An energy that tends to be more upbeat, more quirky, more engaging. It ends up being a rather moving small film that has a lot to say about a particular period in life. That really selfish high school phase. That phase where all you can really think about is yourself and your future. And there's nothing wrong with admitting to living with that particular mindset. It's a period of pressure for most people. But this story shows us that while some people are focused on moving on to college, there's an unfortunate percentage of people that may be moving on to the next stage of chemotherapy. And that's just part of life.

Wet Hot American Summer

David Wain, 2001

3/5

It's the last day of camp and the hormones are running high. The camp counselors are in a heated offensive to hook up with a member of the opposite sex before everyone has to pack up and go home. While not everyone may have the same luck in the romance department, they are all pursuing closure in one form or another.
In this satirical take on 1980's summer camp films (written by original staff members of the cult-classic MTV series The State), WHO KNEW that all you really need is some isolation in a camp cabin and a couple sticks of gum? You are immediately served with some familiar faces (Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Michael Ian Black, David Hyde Pierce, Amy Poehler), and you will continue to see more throughout the film. There is a youthful innocence to the camp staff, and everyone is likable in some way. The stand-out performance is by Christopher Meloni, who plays Gene, someone you rarely see playing a comedic role. Seeing Molly Shannon made me miss Molly Shannon! Be prepared to witness so much tongue-kissing that it leaves you wondering how fast the mononucleosis spread throughout the set. After watching I wondered what I would think of this film had I seen it ten years ago. Maybe I've become jaded... or GROWN-UP - but I feel I would have enjoyed this film much more when I was younger. That was a constant thought throughout: "Okay, that's funny even if I'm not laughing". I enjoyed The State back in the day, so that was a selling point for me here. It's not a perfect film, but its not meant to be. Wain succeeds in exaggerating some the common themes of the 80's summer camp genre (teen love, social stigmas, nerd outcasts, montages). What's admirable about this film is it doesn't take itself seriously. It has its flaws and it knows it does. So what if for every funny scene there is another to match it that trips over itself? While I wasn't amazed by it, nor laughing every second, I have to admit that I was entertained. It's an important film that has its place.