In a backwater town called Squahamish, a smart and eloquent girl named Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) lives. Ellie does her schoolmates' essays in exchange for the much-needed cash to support her and her dad. One day, the lovelorn Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) enlisted her help to be his ghostwriter. The job is to write love letters to Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire), Ellie's secret crush, while he yields the rewards of their interaction. Ellie agreed but in exchange for a hefty price. As the two engage in deep conversations. She begins to fall much deeper in love with Aster. Further complicating their setup.
Directed by Alice Wu and currently available for streaming on Netflix. "The Half of It" is a loose adaptation of Edmond Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac.". A rare coming-of-age contemporary dramedy that's about being brave in taking risks for love.
Alice Wu's second movie, after a 15-years hiatus in filmmaking, is a cute story on ironies. A narrative that pits together the what is and the what appears to be of love. This movie's goal is to open our eyes to see beyond what we cannot see. It also dares us into taking risks for the love that we yearn; to be brave for friendship and for a better life. Or in Ellie's words "Taking bold strokes for a chance of a better painting."
"The Half of It" is compelling because it's different. The best kind of "different" there is. This movie didn't glorify Aster for what she is on the outside instead it makes us fall in love for what she is inside. Paul has all the reasons to brag his masculinity. He's fit, he's into football and he's the only guy who scored Squahamish first points after many years. Yet, he's humble and awkward and he has this passion to understand things. He even Googles how to be gay to understand Ellie. Ellie, on the other hand, is as certain as her A+ grades for who she was. There is no need for her to play pretend or have that "coming out" scene. Instead, her role is to make us understand we are not so far apart or different from one another. She showed us that we can love whoever we want and be bold towards anything that is important to us. Ellie might've represented the LGBTQ+ in this movie. But in reality, she doesn't represent only one color of the rainbow. She represents all of it.
"The Half of It" is a well-crafted story about self-discovery full of compassion. Lewis, Diemer, and Lemire are perfect for their roles. The characters they play feel alive and human to me. They make mistakes, learn, and fall in love. Wu captured the insecurities of being a teenager and the euphoria of finding a new friend.
It comes to no surprise to me that "The Half of It" captured the love of many people. The movie didn't rely so much on tropes and low-quality gimmicks to capture attention. It's heartwarming and easy to digest. This movie is a solid offering from Netflix after many disappointing films. You definitely need to check this movie out. I'am sure you'll have a good time.
5/5
