The Sun is Also a Star
Starring: Yara Shahidi, Charles Melton
Directed by: Ry-Russo Young
Rated: PG-13
I have a confession to make; my guilty pleasure is teen romance movies. They often disappoint me and fall into the same common clichès, but I can’t help but watch them every time a new one hits theaters. The Sun is Also a Star follows two teens, Natasha, and Daniel who meet through a series of connected events the day before her family is scheduled to be deported. Perhaps fate has brought them together?
The Sun is Also a Star is a book written by Nicola Yoon, the author of Everything, Everything. It seems she’s found her genre with YA romance dramas! Although I haven’t read either book, I can honestly say the film adaption of The Sun is Also a Star is much better than Everything, Everything. Maybe that’s because of the director Ry-Russo Young or the fact that it’s not falling back on the oh too common “sick teenager in love” trope. The film relies on the idea that there aren’t coincidences, and even the smallest moments happen for a reason. I enjoy films that utilize this theme. It’s genuinely interesting to think about all of the choices you make in a day and how that could end up impacting your life in the long run. The director employs many stylistic techniques that focus on this theme. The camera frequently looks like a clock ticking over the skyline of New York to symbolize time racing in our lives.
Ry Russo Young impressively portrays New York City as a melting pot of different cultures. Natasha’s family is Jamaican, and Daniel’s is Korean. Throughout the movie, we get to see how their cultural upbringing has shaped them.
Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton have plenty of chemistry as the central couple in the film. Their characters begin the movie as opposites, Natasha doesn’t believe in love, and Daniel thinks it’s the key to everything. It’s no shock in this genre that they find love on one whirlwind day that changes everything for them. Even though this film has its share of clichés, the actors sell the source material to make it believable. It feels realistic that Natasha and Daniel would fall for each other. Natasha faces the emotional struggle of potential deportation, and Daniel is the charismatic yet soulful person who shows up at the perfect moment. Did I mention his last name is Bae, AND he’s a dreamboat? (Yeah, you have to love teen movies.)
My complaint about this movie is that several elements feel a little too reminiscent of La La Land. No, it’s not a musical, but there are at least three scenes that copy direct sequences from La La Land. (I’m talking a planetarium sequence and everything) The cinematography is done in the exact same style as well. It wouldn’t have bothered me too much if I wasn’t the most obsessive La La Land fan in the world. So if you don’t have La La Land memorized, it probably won’t affect you.
The Sun is Also a Star has its fair share of cliché moments, but it’s actually a thoughtful teen romance that will leave you rooting for the lead couple as their whirlwind day comes to an end.
My Rating: 7/10