Movie Review: All the Bright Places

All the Bright Places

Directed by: Brett Haley

6/10

As much as this movie was an adaptation of a book, I focused more on the storyline than the visual effects.

But even so, I did recognize that the scenes were very beautiful. I think the lighting and angles worked well with the movie. Also, the score was well made. Touching and warm on the happier scenes, sad and rather tragic on the darker ones. I think the score and the scenes themselves worked well together; in harmony.

Why I thought this movie was a 6/10 though, was that it lacked depth, like many reviews said, compared to the book. This movie didn’t have the narrations of Finch and Violet (if it did, it would not exactly have the features of a movie, in my personal opinion), making the story abrupt at times. There wasn’t much of a slow, steady developing process in the story, relationships, or heart, and more of jagged ups and downs. This meant a lack of the bind of the characters and the audience that well-made movies usually have of learning and growing together. This caused the audience to feel a distance from the main characters (which I think is fatal in a genre like this).

I do understand that it was difficult to include the depth of the original story due to the fact that the book was in first person. The book’s more important lessons and realizations came from within, making it hard to express in a visual purpose. But nonetheless, it is still disappointing that no alternative (such as an addition to the script since the movie wasn’t very long, or visually in a way) was made.

It also had the problem of not fully showing the main purpose, meaning, showing that mental illness is no less painful than physical ones, making the audience feel the pain Finch and Violet feel realistically, and bring awareness to such illness, not disrespect. In the movie, this topic wasn’t handled as deeply and fluently, more like a jumble of puzzle pieces. (As said in many other parts of the movie.)

In conclusion this movie, unlike the book, failed to show uniqueness, and was no different than any other emotional, beautiful romance movie with lovable characters (not that that’s a bad thing).