Okay, so I saw the movie today, and I want to say that over all I really liked it. However, no movie is perfect, so I want to seperate this review into two parts- things I liked, and things I didn't.
Things I liked: This part could be quite long, so let me just mention my favorite parts. First, any romance hinges on the chemistry of the lead characters, and Vanessa and Alex don't disappoint. They really seem to enjoy being with eachother, and they both give good performances as individuals. Vanessa has great screen presence, and Alex gives a heart felt performance. When his dad abandons him, the hurt he shows makes him seem, to me, so vulnerable and almost childlike that you almost have to forgive who he was before, atleast for the moment. That is just one of the moments that you may want to jump into the screen and give him a hug. MaryKate also gives a standout performance, and I am sure some people will be disappointed that she does not have more screen time.
What I didn't like: For me, the weakest part was the ending. This may be because the ending of the book was one of my favorite parts, and the ending of the movie is almost completely different. I felt like the ending was abrupt, and I missed the flash forward from the book, in which we see that Kyle, Lindy, and Will are all still living together, and that Will is their teacher. I was also disappointed that in the movie Sola and Kendra are not the same person, like Magda and Kendra were in the book.Finally, I love Neil Patrick Harris, and I would have liked to see him have a little more to do in this movie than be the comedic relief.
So, in a nutshell, that is how I felt about the movie. I have to say that, if you liked the book, I think you should see this movie, but be prepared for many changes.
Things I liked: This part could be quite long, so let me just mention my favorite parts. First, any romance hinges on the chemistry of the lead characters, and Vanessa and Alex don't disappoint. They really seem to enjoy being with eachother, and they both give good performances as individuals. Vanessa has great screen presence, and Alex gives a heart felt performance. When his dad abandons him, the hurt he shows makes him seem, to me, so vulnerable and almost childlike that you almost have to forgive who he was before, atleast for the moment. That is just one of the moments that you may want to jump into the screen and give him a hug. MaryKate also gives a standout performance, and I am sure some people will be disappointed that she does not have more screen time.
What I didn't like: For me, the weakest part was the ending. This may be because the ending of the book was one of my favorite parts, and the ending of the movie is almost completely different. I felt like the ending was abrupt, and I missed the flash forward from the book, in which we see that Kyle, Lindy, and Will are all still living together, and that Will is their teacher. I was also disappointed that in the movie Sola and Kendra are not the same person, like Magda and Kendra were in the book.Finally, I love Neil Patrick Harris, and I would have liked to see him have a little more to do in this movie than be the comedic relief.
So, in a nutshell, that is how I felt about the movie. I have to say that, if you liked the book, I think you should see this movie, but be prepared for many changes.