‘If I Stay’ Review By Jorge Carreón. Let’s just get the hard part out of the way. No, “If I Stay” doesn’t quite reach the emotional heights of “The Fault In Our Stars,” one of the best films of the season and the year. It’s a shame, too, because both book to screen adaptations share so much in common. While tragedy strikes at the heart of each film, the narratives are actually rather life affirming. Dare I say, hopeful? The differences, however, do lie in their execution as filmed experiences. What authors John Green (“Fault…”) and Gayle Forman (“If I Stay”) do extraordinarily well in their best selling novels is not condescend to their readers. Both feature authentically strong heroines, multi-layered characters that question, answer and accept their respective fates without collapsing into a pile of saccharine melodrama. Such clear-eyed characters are wonderful to see in a film, particularly if cast well. It is no wonder why studios had such great interests in both books. And not for just purely marketing reasons, either. This are prospective showcases for not only the actors, but the filmmakers, too. After seeing, and reading, both narratives, it is quite extraordinary to witness what one film did so beautifully right, while the other comes across as being content to focus on the surface of a profoundly moving story. The emotional wallop delivered by “The Fault In Our Stars” can be credited back to the sensitively written adaptation by Scott Neustadter &Michael H. Weber, director Josh Boone’s restraint and the combined power of stars Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort’s brutally honest performances. Their combined efforts are all richly layered, resulting in a film that nearly surpasses the literary experience on several levels. “If I Stay” doesn’t drop the ball, but it does feel caught in a tender trap. If you’ve seen the artfully edited trailers, you know that young Mia (Chloe Gracë Moretz) is a musical prodigy facing a mortal crossroads after a tragic accident claims most of her family. Barely alive, the comatose teen’s spirit bears witness to life without her. As she flashes back on the life events leading up to the accident, Mia must reconcile several truths. While she doesn’t want to sacrifice the love of her first boyfriend, cute rocker Adam (Jamie Blackley), she doesn’t want to give up her dream of going to Juilliard. With so much already lost in her life, is there enough love to keep her earthbound? That’s the principal question of “If I Stay,” a tantalizing one at that. Like the novel’s author, screenwriter Shauna Cross (“Whip It”) is not as precious about youth as Diablo Cody, but there is a layer of schmaltz that permeates much of “If I Stay.” And director R.J. Cutler does grapple with subtlety. However, you have to respect his desire to create an aspirational world of positive youth culture, a welcome sight indeed. The film’s sensitive depiction of such teen life milestones as the first kiss, the first fight, etc., practically gives “If I Stay” a gossamer sheen. Innocent and chaste, you’d wish such scenes happened to you during your adolescent years. Add the absolutely stellar soundtrack and original songs penned for Adam’s band and you would swear this was a movie John Hughes was destined to make. However, what impacted me even more was the image of Mia’s supportive family. These are adult figures that aren’t one-dimensional dispensers of homilies or angst. Rather, they are “cool” parents who embrace their offbeat pasts to create a nurturing present for their children. Much of this was greatly enhanced by Cutler’s assured hand with Moretz and Blackley during their “first love” scenes, as well as with the home life sequences. Here, the shrewd casting of actors like Mireille Enos (“The Killing”), Joshua Leonard and the great Stacy Keach as Mia’s parents and grandfather does wonders for the film’s energy and honesty. (By the way, can someone place cast Enos in something that places her center stage? The woman is a powerhouse of emotion with just a glance and a smile. I’m crushing on her hard these days.) Yet, despite the emotional truths represented by certain scenes, a layer of artificiality mutes the strengths of the film in the process. For instance, is it a problem that the movie is just too perfectly composed at times? It was for me since I shouldn’t be noticing the Anthropologie-inspired production and costume design in a movie with themes of life, love, death and spirituality. But that’s a superficial quibble. It also says something that the strongest scene in the movie is delivered by Keach, perhaps the singular moment of real emotion that will impact the entire audience. So heartfelt is Gramps’ exchange with a comatose Mia, literally telling her it’s okay for her to let go, you will find yourself pondering if you could ever say such a thing. The effect is heartbreaking, but it also magnifies the bigger issue affecting “If I Stay” and that’s Moretz’s performance. Where “If I Stay” dovetails furthest away from “Fault…” is with the choice of leading lady. Moretz is making a bold transitional move from child star to leading lady with projects like “If I Stay” and the recent “Carrie.” It is awkward having to live out this evolution in such a public manner. I credit her for not shying away from the challenge. Unlike the more seasoned Woodley in “Fault…,” 17-year old Moretz just doesn’t have the emotional depth as an actor to carry off the demands of a role like Mia. (Like Natalie Portman, whose beauty also overshadowed her teen years roles, I am certain Moretz will find her strengths with a little more living.) It is interesting to note that Moretz’s scenes with the charming Blackley resonate beautifully because you can see and feel what it is like for her to fall in love for the first time. Her instincts are spot on in these scenes. It is when she must react to the effects of the accident on her family as spirit Mia or any of the moments where she must reveal the extent of her emotional pain where it all rings hollow. You can call it “constipated face” acting if snark was required here. But unfortunately that’s what it looks like, something that also hampered her portrayal as Stephen King’s iconic Carrie earlier this year. I’m not saying Moretz delivers a damaging performance, but it does a play a role in what keeps this spirited story a little too earthbound. “If I Stay” is now playing in theaters nationwide.
