If I Stay - Movie Review

Warning - DON'T watch the full trailers, they spoil EVERYTHING!

Who's in it?

Chloë Grace Moretz, Jamie Blackley, Joshua Leonard and Mireille Enos

What's it about?

On a snowy day trip to her grandparents, Mia Hall and her family are involved in a serious car crash which leaves Mia's 'soul' wandering the hospital and her memories trying to find a reason to wake up from the coma she was left in.

Disregard the cruel comment from USA Today

Any Good?

For the first 10-20 minutes you'll be convinced this is just The Lovely Bones mixed with a bad teen romance novel, but stick around and you get some truly great scenes.

I went to see this with my good friend (and music journalist) Ally, and one thing we could agree on was that it was pretty generic until certain parts - namely the Grandfather scenes. We both were dry-eyed most of the film until that incredibly well acted character comes on screen, then the flood gates let loose and she bawwled, while I gurned like Lt. Aldo Raine - totally manly.

                               

                           Yep, just like this

Aside from the totally BAWLsome grandfather, the rest of the characters in the film really grow on you. Chloë Grace Moretz does her part dutifully - that's about all I can really say there. Her boyfriend Adam (Blackley) however, is something pretty special. Listening to him just sounds like generic boyband douche boyfriend, but if you watch his face you'll see some incredible acting just from facial expressions alone - quite odd yet impressive. Mia's best friend Kim also has a scene with the most natural looking emotion I've ever seen - you'll know it when you see it, it's unmissable.

While it may look like just another teen romance, there are some truly brilliant scenes that are both beautiful and heart-wrenching. One point I brought up to Ally is that Adam's band is hyped up to be The Sex Pistols but when they play it's The Kooks - all the way to Adam basically becoming Jack Johnson. Seriously though, if you feel bored by it, just hang on - If I Stay has some pretty lofty high points as opposed to it's mainly just average bulk.

                                

 Rating: