Wednesday, May 15, 2019

The Sun is Also A Star Movie Review


I recently gave away 40 passes to be able to attend an Advance Screening of "The Sun is Also a Star". For my passes, I took my daughter who wanted to come with me. Needless to say, it has been a long time since we did a mother-daughter outing and this seemed like something she and I both would like.

I really liked that the main character was a woman named Natasha and not just any woman but a woman of colour who was a strong female lead who didn't swoon at the first thought of a man trying to woe them. She was all about facts and was testable by the scientific method. However, she was about to be only deported because her parents brought her here from Jamaica and even though the odds weren't in her favour, she tried to fight to have her family stay. However, she ends up being deported to only work her way back into the United States to get her PhD in Astrophysics.

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 I heard a man behind my question the validity of her being able to go to work on her PhD in Astrophysicist at the end of the movie, to which I turned around and replied that my sister (hey Melinda) is doing JUST that. Which just goes to prove WHY we need movies like these, even if it has a little bit of cliche in it, to show that women of colour HAVE been doing it and can do it. Not only that but to show how far we still have to go. Not just in how smart women of colour can be but also in the issues that those that have to face immigration go through.

The main male character, Daniel, was a first generation Asian-American. He struggled with the stereotypes of being the first generation and the pressures of making a name for himself, well, really keeping the family name as the father deemed. Also that the stereotypical immigrant Asian, fighting for his son to have the best education possible and pushing them to make a name as a doctor or a lawyer even from birth.  Then the brother who was tatted up who pretended to be rough and bullied his little brother a little bit because the family relied on the younger brother to be able to uphold the family name.

Yet Daniel, smart, but also very soft hearted and heart on his sleeve, challenges what it means to not only have to face social-cultural and familial stereotypes, but also gender stereotypes. Not just in terms of his career and choosing poetry and writing over becoming a doctor but also in terms of pursuing romance. He didn't need to be a pompous jerk to the girl or try to be something he wasn't.

And there are many different kinds of men out there. To each their own style-- but they must stay true to their own self and that is something I really liked that they brought out in this guy.

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The cinematography of blurring the video was a little distracting to me, especially at different parts of the movie. While this may have been a purposeful stylistic choice, it was overdone just a little and took away from the movie itself. I kept wondering if my glasses were foggy, which they weren't, simply because I couldn't completely see clearly.

 I love that during the movie they showed astrophysics facts and related it to the movie itself. I also loved that they shared the facts about Korean culture & did flashbacks to the times when their parents were either in Jamaica or Korea.

Even bringing up the Theory of the Multiverse-- which is not just a scientific theory but also a spiritual one about our existence. One I intend to check out more, especially with any and all studies that have been done to support the theory.

Movies are doing a better job in being more gender and socially culturally sensitive and diverse but in a more well-rounded way. This was definitely an example of that.

It was odd to me that the person who was the interviewer for his Dartmouth application for a reference was the same person who she had to see for her families immigration status case. There was a disconnect there especially when they never showed or shared the importance of him being the one that was part of the "cosmic" event that brought Daniel and Natasha together.


The idea behind the Sun is also a Star is actually very profound and uplifting. 

To be honest, on a personal level, it did strike me quite a bit, even if cheesy, because in the time that I am in my life where I am starting over again after the dissolution of a marriage and finding myself again, it was a profound reminder that every day is a new day. The sun rises and sets as should our days. We need to make the most of them. 

I felt the movie could have used a little bit more depth but I really really liked it. 

I would give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

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My daughter's Review:

 Hi, I’m Via with another review and today I am reviewing The Sun is Also a Star. To start off I’d like to say that I really enjoyed this movie. In the beginning, I knew that I would. They really captured the essence of what the story was about. It was romantic and comical and just heartfelt. During the movie, I heard laughs when it was funny (which it was), and I don’t know about everyone else but I loved this movie. With Natasha narrating it was really pulled together

 PREVIEW:


"The Sun Is Also a Star is an upcoming 2019 American teen drama film directed by Ry Russo-Young. The film is based on the young adult novel of the same name written by Nicola Yoon and stars Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton. In Theatres for release May 17, 2019.

“What if I told you I could get you to fall in love with me…?”

Natasha Kingsley is a young quantum physics student who, on an ordinary day, meets a charming young exchange student, Daniel Bae. The two quickly form a romantic relationship but must struggle to keep it together in the wake of Natasha’s family facing deportation from their home.

College-bound romantic Daniel Bae and Jamaica-born pragmatist Natasha Kingsley meet—and fall for each other—over one magical day amidst the fervor and flurry of New York City. Sparks immediately fly between these two strangers, who might never have met had fate not given them a little push. But will fate be enough to take these teens from star-crossed to lucky in love? With just hours left on the clock in what looks to be her last day in the U.S., Natasha is fighting against her family’s deportation as fiercely as she’s fighting her budding feelings for Daniel, who is working just as hard to convince her they are destined to be together. 

A modern-day story about finding love against all odds, “The Sun Is Also a Star” explores whether our lives are determined by fate or the random events of the universe. 

The film stars Yara Shahidi (“grown-ish”) as Natasha and Charles Melton (“Riverdale”) as Daniel, along with John Leguizamo (“John Wick: Chapter 2”). "


Cast:
  • Yara Shahidi as Natasha Kingsley
  • Charles Melton as Daniel Bae
  • Jake Choi as Charles Bae
  • Camrus Johnson as Omar
  • Gbenga Akinnagbe as Samuel Kingsley
  • Miriam A. Hyman as Patricia Kingsley
  • Cathy Shim as Min Soo Bae
  • John Leguizamo
  • Hill Harper

Directed by Ry Russo-Young (“Before I Fall”), the film is based on the acclaimed bestseller by Everything, Everything author Nicola Yoon. The Sun Is Also a Star was #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and has received multiple accolades, including 2016 National Book Award Finalist; Amazon’s Best Book of 2016 in YA; Amazon’s Top 20 Children’s Books of 2016 in YA; the New York Times Notable Children’s Books of 2016; and Entertainment Weekly’s 10 Best Books of 2016.

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