SairasKaji's JumboTweets
My Review Of The Novel - Wonder by R.J. Palacio
"Everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least one time in their life." - August Pullman.
August "Auggie" Pullman is an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face. "I won't describe what I look like," he tells us. "Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse." Having been homeschooled through the fourth grade, Auggie is about to embark on a journey both exciting and terrifying : attending fifth grade at Beecher Prep. How his teachers, fellow students and other parents react to his presence ranges a wide spectrum, from awkward to cruel, to benevolent and heroic.
Told from various character perspectives, Auggie's courage in the wake of cruelty from children and adults alike, transforms those closest to him. Though tackling the painful reality of what it is like to be judged and be persecuted for something out of ones control, Wonder is also a clever, funny and hopeful story with a simple yet profound underlying message. "Be kinder than necessary."
In the past I've often heard people describe various books as "tearjerkers". And when I heard that, I'd usually laugh, because I'm not much of a cryer when it comes to my reading selections. I generally reserve my tears for two things : personal issues and videos of soldiers coming home and surprising their unsuspecting kids in the school assemblies (RIGHT?!?!?!). But cry while reading a book? NEVER!
Guess what? WONDER is a tearjerker y'all.- My review of the movie, What If.
"What If" is your typical boy meets girl romance. It's a "romantic daydream" - the kind that gets interrupted by the harsh reality of other people.
Wallace (played brilliantly by Daniel Radcliffe) is a med school dropout and a post-break up moper who doesn't have much going for him "I have a dead-end job, I live in my sister's attic and I basically never go out." When he finally does tip-toe from his boy cave, he meets Chantry (played by the zesty Zoe Kazan), who among other things shares his hobby of making ironic poetry with the fridge magnet.
Wallace and Chantry create a friendship based on their mutual love of language and shared ideas about humor. Sexual tension simmers just under the surface, so What If zips along with both characters trying to keep a lid on their true feelings and striving to keep things on a friendship level.
Through several seasons of hanging out and being teased and goaded by friends, to their credit, Kazan and Radcliffe play their chemistry naturally, playing with it and keep us guessing.
I'll be honest : I fell hard for What If, even as I realised that in an alternate universe I may have wanted to punch all of these characters out. It might have all been a little too twee, a little too smug, or way too dark, but this talented cast carefully walks a very fine line, and thus, the film remains romantic and light on its feet as it depicts genuine emotional pain.
Radcliffe works wonders, conveying little moments of ordinary human anxiety, but it's Kazan who stands out, giving so much life to a character who could've easily become a collection of too-cute quirks. Torn between two suitors, Chantry opts for a third choice. One that few rom-coms acknowledge exist, let alone explore. It's a smart, dare I say, truly romantic take on the nature of friendship between romantic partners but also their pals, and the role it has not just in falling in love, but staying there.
What if gets into familiar rom-com territories, but they feel different for several reasons. What's more, you'll get the recipe to Elvis Presley's special Fool's Gold sandwich. Not a lot of rom-coms can offer any of that.