To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was released this past August and is based on the novel, “To All the Boys I’ve ever Loved Before,” by Jenny Han. However, the romantic-comedy film was directed by Susan Johnson. The stars of the movie are Lara Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Israel Broussard, John Corbett, Trezzo Mahoro, Madeleine Arthur, and Emilija Baranacand.
The movie tells the story of a 16-year-old Korean-American girl, Lara Jean (Lara Condor), who writes love letters to her all of her crushes that she has ever loved before. She writes five letters in total and has each letter addressed. However, she has them hidden away in a box that she keeps in her room. No one knows about the letters until suddenly the letters are mailed to her crushes and some of them confront her. This all leads to her and an old crush, Peter (Noah Centineo), to sign a contract to consent to fake dating as a way to prove to another old crush, Josh (Israel Broussard), that she’s over him. Plus, it’s a way for Peter to win his ex back. It seems like a great plan until things turn upside down.
Most of the film correlates with the novel which is amazing because most films nowadays are nothing like the novel. It’s fascinating that the screenwriter, Sofia Alvarez, tried her best to keep most of the film relevant to the novel. She did an exotic job combining the storyline with flashbacks. The setting of the scenes makes the film feel even more real. The fact that there’s a lacrosse field included in a time when lacrosse has become so popular makes it more relatable. The lighting also adds more feel to the film as in most scenes there’s literally spotlight on Lara. As if no one has noticed that she’s the protagonist, but it allows the viewer to only focus on her.
The transitions from scene to scene flow so lovely. The actors did an impressive job portraying the characters’ emotions, making the characters come to life. Lara’s narrative allows one to have a deeper connection with her. The inlook into her thoughts are helpful to understand the plot and adds more life to her character. The film creates this tension that makes the viewers sit at the edge of their seats.
There are many things that are presented in the film that are relatable; from feeling embarrassed when your old crush finds out that you had feelings for them to having a strong sister bond. The film specifically highlights many topics that teenagers can relate to such as coming out of the closet and feeling invisible at school. In addition, the film also highlights the importance of talking issues out. As Peter and Lara Jean continue to fake their relationship, they open up to each other about their lives. They try so hard to make their relationship as believable as possible which leads them to become closer and honest with one another. The irony.
A big metaphor that one can see in the film is the fact that Lara Jean’s ability to drive is being compared to her taking charge of her life. At the beginning of the film, Lara Jean is afraid of driving herself and her younger sister to school, but by the end of the film, she drives by herself. Therefore, makes the metaphor complete by showing that she has now taken charge of her life and her emotions. Another metaphor that can be seen throughout the film is the fact that her messy room is also being compared to her life. In the beginning, Lara’s room is messy, but at some point, she starts to clean her room. This also symbolizes the fact that she’s now in control of her life. If Lara Jean would’ve explained herself to all of her old crushes, most of what appeared in the second half of the film would’ve never happened.
Besides the plot of the film, the leading actress, Condor, makes the film stand out as there are not that many films with Asian leading actresses. Condor playing Lara Jean’s character makes the experience so much more powerful. The novel never explicitly states that Lara is Asian. It’s great to see that there’s some diversity included. On that note, it’s interesting that none of her crushes are Asian; thus, makes the film not fit into the stereotype. Aside from that, the fact that one of the characters is part of the LGBTQ+ community makes this film the greatest.
Overall, the film allows the viewers to have this hope to fall in love. It may sound cliché, but the way that the idea is illustrated is unique. This is a film that everyone must watch. The ordinary of the characters makes the film extremely attractive.
I like the way that you mention that the film stayed true to the book’s essence. The film, unlike other movies based off books, definitely did not deviate from the plot of the novel, and it is a remarkable representation of the authors words. The directors do an amazing job of portraying the novel while staying true to the original story. I also think that mentioning the driving and room cleaning as metaphors is imperative. It is easy to overlook these two metaphors and think nothing of them. Yet, Lara Jean grows as a character throughout the movie which is symbolized through her driving and room cleaning. By driving her sister, she also becomes more mature and takes on more responsibility. I think it’s important to note that her character growth is translated into Lara’s relationship with Peter. While I agree with most of your review, I disagree with your point of the light always being focused on Lara Jean to show that she is the protagonist. From what I noticed while watching the film, the lighting always focused on the actors in the scene- not just Lara Jean. Overall, I really appreciated your perspective and agreed with your points.
The heart of your review is with the two metaphors that you artistically discovered. Lara Jean’s driving and messy room capture her character arc and the lesson that she learns about control. Your discussion of representation points to why this romantic comedy is important. Your mention of the flashbacks and the transitions highlight the cinematography and the nostalgic air of the film. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before conjures up memories of romantic comedies from the 80s, and Lara Jean mentions loving them herself in the film. I would have loved to hear more about how elements of this film contribute to this nostalgic air. For instance, Lara Jean’s elegant and playful clothing, the romantic corner cafe, and the pastel blue running track. Great review!
It is so true that many films stray far from how they “should be” based on how things are in the book version and this can be very frustrating to those who have read the novel so I particularly like that you mention the similarity in this case.
I also think it was a good point to note the flowing transition of scenes as it makes the movie a simple and easy watch.
However, my favorite part of this review is that you mention the metaphoric aspect of Lara Jean’s ability to drive, and the messy state of her bedroom. These metaphors are subtle and not very in-your-face yet they are undeniably present and important to Lara Jean’s character development.
I may have liked to hear a bit more on the importance of sisterhood and opening up because I think that adds another unique aspect to the film but overall, this is a great review.