💬 Review The Half of It

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LilacGooseberry

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Member for 3 years
Name of the movie you are reviewing: The Half of It

The Half of It, directed by Alice Wu, is a comedy-drama coming of age film released on Netflix in May 2020. The story focuses on the relationship among the introverted Ellie Chu (played by Leah Lewis), the outgoing Paul Munsky (Daniel Dierner), and their (secretly) shared love interest, Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire).

Review:
The Half of It first caught my attention by having characters that were both relatable and admirable. Ellie Chu, in particular, stands out in this regard. She's a queer Asian American, doing everything she can to support her family by juggling work (as a writer and station master) and school. Besides this, she has to deal with the struggles of growing up, of figuring out her sexuality, of forming connections with those around her, and of the casual discrimination she faces as a Chinese woman in America.

The stories of the two other leads, Paul and Aster, were also explored well. Paul is the typical "dumb jock", but his charm and aspirations set him apart from the stereotype. He's kind, and he genuinely does his best. The scenes where his family problems are discussed do a lot in building his character. Meanwhile, Aster is depicted as the "pretty girl." And she struggles with that. To those around her, she's just the pretty girl. Her identity is made small, and eventually she starts seeing herself as small.

These characters were able to bring out the best in each other as the film progressed. Their relationship is truly the highlight in this movie.

The Half of It also features amazing cinematography, using the techniques of foreshadowing and symbolism to emphasize certain scenes. The colorgrading also works for the middle-of-nowhere town that is Squahamish.

As a nerd, I also enjoyed the tidbits of Greek mythology and philosophy mentioned in the film. I really appreciate characters who do their share of reading.

[Spoiler Alert!]
For the not-so-good parts: I disliked the confrontation scene at the church, near the end of the film. The characters were yelling about their feelings in a church filled with people who did not know what was going on. While earnest, I honestly found it slightly cringey. I also (kind of) disliked the ending. The Half of It was marketed to me as a love story, but the protagonist and their love interest don't end up together. Now, don't get me wrong: I deeply appreciate the writing and how it explored the different kinds of love. I liked how it's open-ended, because it gives the characters so much room for growth. But honestly, sometimes I just want a nice LGBT love story where they live happily ever after.

Overall, the Half of It is a beautiful film about love and growth. It captures the awkwardness and hardships of love and of adolescence. It encourages its viewers to "take the boldest stroke to make a great painting out of an already-good one". And, if you fail, to have the courage to build yourself back up.

Would you recommend this to other users? Yes! Though I recommend it most to teenagers and young adults.

Rating(1-5): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
 
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