Favourite film review

 ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES 

 

 

All the Bright Places is a film released in 2020 -directed by Brett Haley- is based on the book written by Jennifer Niven and Liz Hannah which was released in 2015. It stars Elle Fanning, Justice Smith, and Alexandra Shipp. All the Bright Places is a story about 2 teenagers, Violet and Finch who meet each other while struggling with the trauma and pain of their past – they go from friends to lovers and discover that even with their emotional and psychical that they can find a bright place in the worst of times, and if they can’t (unfortunately in Finch’s case) – they can be that bright place for someone else. This film brings out all emotions, heartbreak, grief, happiness, hope, and love.

 

The thing I love most about this movie is the message it gives out, it focuses on the stigmatized and tabooed topic of suicide, the movie handles the topic well by neither demonizing it nor glamorizing it – while it mainly focuses on how it would feel after losing someone to suicide, which unfortunately in Violet's case she does. The movie kept my attention from the very beginning which is one of the opening scenes Violet and Finch are both standing on a bridge, both planning to take their lives coincidentally at the same time. Finch slowly talks Violet out of following through and she returns the favor to him. From there they get closer and Finch helps Violet come out of her shell and trust again, which in my opinion is the most beautiful thing someone could do. The cinematography after this is incredible, the scenery combined with the music brings along the movie so well. You feel a sense of relief and hope that Violet is healing but soon realize that Finch is deteriorating more. The scenes where they properly open up to each other seem so genuine and eye-opening to what people go through. 

 

The film then takes a turn and gets darker and more serious, Finch and Violet have an argument, and through his pain, he pushes her away. I’m pretty sure the next scene shattered everyone who has watched it, Violet finds Finch’s body in the lake where he drowned himself, the acting is incredible, Elle Fannings manages to portray shock, heartbreak, grief, and guilt in one shot, and the whole cinematic experience exaggerates the experience to a new extent. From there you get to see the bittersweetness of Violet moving on and finally being content with where she is in life but the wrenching heartbreak of Finch not being there with her anymore. When Violet gives the presentation they’d been working on together it makes me think about life on a whole new level and the state of how it would leave the people I love if I left. 

 

Overall this film gave me a new perspective on so much, I loved watching Violet grow as a person and watching Finch have hope momentarily when he was with Violet.