Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

"He hates calling people his friends. Dude's got issues."

Filmology Rating: 3.5 out of 4

Reviewing Me and Earl and the Dying Girl presented me with a significant challenge. How do I review a movie that holds a deep appreciation for film, but not a deep appreciation for its own story? Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is another story about a somber yet talented individual who is simply trying to survive high school by being invisible. High school senior Greg is played by Thomas Mann in the lead role. Greg has a best friend named Earl (played by RJ Cyler) Greg constantly refers to as a coworker. Greg and Earl are both social outcasts who enjoy watching classic films and creating parody versions of these films. Greg has spent most of his life avoiding actual attachments to anyone in his life, including Earl. This detachment is challenged when a classmate named Rachel (played by Olivia Cooke) is diagnosed with Leukemia. Greg would normally avoid a situation like this, but Greg’s mother forces him to develop a friendship with Rachel as she struggles with her health. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl focuses primarily on the budding friendship between Greg and Rachel. The movie avoids the romance clichés typically found in films about cancer stricken teens, but it doesn’t let us forget it. A narration by Greg constantly reminds us that the film is not going to follow the standard formula. These narration bits by Greg seem hollows because the film is very aloof. Rarely does the film sit at ground level to emotionally connect with the characters. The film is more comfortable floating high above them as if their story and their characters truly are important. Equal doses of both praise and criticism must be leveled at director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon. As a director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon shows a clear love for film as an art form. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl features at least a dozen clips of parody short films that mock and pay tribute to benchmarks in cinema history. His love for film is also clearly seen in the cinematography present in the film. Rarely does the camera remain in a dull position. This love for film does hurt Me and Earl and the Dying Girl in some ways. For one, the camerawork can often be too complicated. Although many famous shots from film history are imitated, they don’t often hold the purpose or intent that was evident in the original films. Perhaps some of the attention that was given to the camerawork could have been given to the story and the characters. One of the glaring issues with the film is its characters. Neither Greg, Earl, nor the dying girl (Rachel) feel like fully developed characters. Although Greg’s character development is front and center in the film, I never felt like Greg was a fully fleshed out character. Both Earl and Rachel feel criminally underdeveloped as characters. Don’t get me wrong, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl contains many well executed parts. Within the film is a wide assortment of small films that range from parody filmmaking to wonderfully simple stop-motion animation. As a film lover I deeply appreciate what this movie is trying to do. The film obviously cares about film and its history. What the film lacks is a well-executed story with fully fleshed out characters. Unless you are a devout student of cinema you may not find much to love in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

Rating: Skip It 

-Tyler