Love, Simon Review

PG13: thematic elements, sexual references, language and teen partying

20th Century Fox

1 Hr and 49 Minutes

Dir: Greg Berlanti | Writers: Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger

Cast: Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel, Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Miles Heizer, Logan Miller, Keiynan Lonsdale, Tony Hale

INTRO: Recently there has been an abundant amount of films that are centers around people coming out of the closet 2016’s “Moonlight” and 2017’s “Call Me By Your Name” are just some examples. As great as those movies are, there is one major issue that comes across for teenage viewers. They’re both R-rated movie and mostly dramas. But now we have “Love, Simon” a PG13 teen comedy based on the 2015 book Becky Albertalli “Simon vs. the Homo Sapien’s Agenda”` that boldly breaks the mold for LGBT cinema.

Everyone deserves a great love story. But for Simon it's complicated: no-one knows he's gay and he doesn't know who the anonymous classmate is that he's fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, scary and life-changing.

THE GOOD

Before walking into the film, my friend Fran actually took her time to read the source material that this was based on and she had major issues with it. From what I gathered, it’s sort of clear how the book heavily lacked a fluent writing structure. Even on the line for the screening, another person expressed her feelings towards the book and it was the same where the concept is decent and original, but the way how the book was written made it feel bland. For a book that I’ve heard was bland despite its excellent plot, “Love, Simon” is one of those film adaptations that doesn’t only serve its source material justice but fixes all the flaws to create a much more structured narrative. Even down to the title of the film has much more of an impactful meaning than the book’s title itself.

On the surface, “Love, Simon” may look like just your average teen comedy, but underneath its layers, the movie is much more than that. With the screenplay written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger who are responsible for writing a ton of episodes of “This is Us,” (yeah you’re gonna cry while watching this by the way), they brilliantly write this story in a way that comes off rather refreshing. The story borrows a lot of elements from a ton of John Hughes films from “Pretty in Pink” to the fourth wall breaking style of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

When it comes to the humor, the writing is sharp, witty, and mostly a savage. Every side character outside of Simon is hilarious. From his friends, his family, and mostly his teachers, every performer has a time to shine with their own distinct personality that gets you laughing at least once. One of the actors that consistently steals the show every moment she is onscreen is Natasha Rothwell as the drama teacher who is good at her job but verbally expresses how much she hates it cause the students are just so stupid. Tony Hale and Natasha Rothwell are the only two adults in the high school that appears throughout the movie. Though Hale has his moments, Rothwell has you dying of laughter every second she has onscreen.

There is a scene that Rothwell dominates control. Where in any other high school movie in a scene when a kid is bullied you never see an adult break it up or confront the bullies. But since these are competent writers, Rothwell is that teacher who puts motherfuckers in their place. It feels as if the Berger and Aptaker  looked at that glaring flaw and said,

The humor isn’t just verbal and smart writing but its also visually humorous as well. The film incorporates imaginative cutaways that help Simon express his feelings towards the audience. With the cutaways, we get a sense of his inner thoughts opposed to just having a nonsensical cutaway for a joke.

With the several films he’s been in from playing as the older Brother in “Jurassic World,” to the love interest in “Everything, Everything,” Nick Robinson’s portrayal of Simon is the star turning role that will shoot him up to superstardom because his performance is phenomenal. This is his movie and his first time having to carry a full feature, and he is captivatingly magnificent. The best way to describe Simon himself is a blend of endearingly  complex as Ducky from “Pretty in Pink,” and the unlucky wimpy-ness of Greg Heffley  from “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”

While most of the characters add humor, Simon is the bridge between the humor and drama. Robinson proves that not only that he can carry his own but can be both a great comedic actor and dramatic actor. When he plays jokes up for a laugh, he pulls a Jason Bateman type of performance where he can deliver a joke with a straight face and manage to get an audience roaring in laughter. Then when he goes dramatic, he doesn’t go over the top expressing his emotions, and when he does, he manages to be reserved.

Director Greg Berlanti does a fantastic job expressing the world of Simon and developing it to be relatable and still show his own complexity. Berlanti who does more producing than director infuses a ton of creativity for this character that audiences can relate to on a new level. Because of his love interest having the faux name of Blue, in every sequence where Simon visualize his potential suitors, they’re displayed in a blue-tinted color. Its a tiny creative aspect that shows how invested Simon is into this mystery person and all he is working off of is the color blue.

THE BAD

There is an actor named Logan Miller. He is a decent actor. There are several roles I really liked him in such as “Before I Fall,” and “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse.” But in this movie, he does nothing but pisses you off and make you cringe. I never noticed this, but Miller reminds me so much of a mini Adam DeVine. I didn’t think it was possible because DeVine is 34 which is a young age and Miller is 26. Yet somehow he is a young Adam DeVine from his mannerisms to the voice that it's frighteningly uncanny.

His character Martin is an essential character in the film and is mostly the antagonist and boy do you hate him. As you think maybe he’ll be a small part of the story, he turns into a major player. As he becomes a more significant part of the story, he drags the movie itself down. This asshole just gives you anxiety. Think of Adam DeVine in every role he’s ever been in just without the factor of him making you laugh all the time.

You feel so bad for Simon at this point for him having to deal with this detestable nuisance, but then you realize that you have to endure him as well. There is that one guy in high school you just want to strangle, and Martin is that guy. He does add a level of depth to Simon and raise the stakes to the narrative that help you sympathize with Simon. But if he were at least a little bit less incorrigible, I would be forgiving for the 42% of the time where he is onscreen. Even when the film asks you to have sympathy towards Martin, your heart doesn’t even beat close to 50% for him.

Though this is a teenage comedy, “Love, Simon” sometimes tend to fall into formulaic territories that lead into both the liars revealed and friend in love with other friend trope seen by plenty of movies of this genre. It plays way too dramatic at times, but like the lead character, the story doesn’t dwell in its somberness and bounces back up immediately because it knows it still has a story it needs to tell.

THE RENDY

Every year there is a near perfect teen comedy that feels like a sort of variation of a John Hughes movie if it was written in the 21st century. 2015 had “Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl,” 2016 had “The Edge of Seventeen,” and 2017 had “Lady Bird.” But “Love, Simon”  has the “Lady Bird” effect where it doesn’t matter if you’re the same gender or in this case the same sexual orientation you can heavily relate to this character and their personal struggle of being accepted and falling in love.

Side note: Jennifer Garner and Michael Stuhlberg would be the best parents for a teen who is scared to come out of the closet because they give nothing but exceptional speeches to help their child be accepting with who they are. In this movie, Garner has a beautiful speech and is graces the screen when she delivers it. Even Duhamel who plays Simon’s dad has an emotional scene that nearly makes you tear.

Though everything involving Martin is a huge ink blotch in a nicely written essay, the overall film is terrific. Just like how in one moment, “ Black Panther,”  transcended from just your average comic book movie to a cultural standpoint for Black Cinema, there is one moment in “Love, Simon” where it transcends from being just another coming of age teen comedy and becomes a cultural standpoint for LGBTQ cinema. This isn’t just a story of anyone wanting to come out of the closet but a boy wanting to express who he is and being in terms with himself with it.

Yeah you have “Moonlight” and “Call Me By Your Name” as recent films of young homosexual boys coming to terms with their newfound sexuality, but this is a movie where a character who has been gay for a while and is just closeted with it. Also, those films were R-rated dramas. Do you see any PG13 comedies aimed at a 13-17 demographic that can help a high schooler be proud to be gay?

Imagine the good this film can make for a kid who is afraid to come out that can’t watch any of those R rated dramas. Well here is this PG13 movie to help teach them how to express themselves and have self-love where they accept themselves as who they are.

LAST STATEMENT

With a charismatic cast and a sharply written screenplay that is a better source than the source material, “Love, Simon,” is a revolutionary teenage comedy that works for both moviegoers and people of the LGBTQ community—and boasts an outstanding star-turning performance by Nick Robinson.

Rating: 4/5 | 82%

Super Scene: Ms. Albright Goes Off