Five Feet Apart (2019)

 

Had myself a lovely little night in and watched two romantic films so let's get in to this one first.

Five Feet Apart is one of those films that I feel like I would recommend to everyone, it doesn't do anything spectacular, there is no exceptional acting scene (though both our leads do well, and Hayley Lu Richardson in particular deserves a lot of credit), it's competently directed but there are no truly beautiful or breathtaking shots, and it's a good if not basic script.

The reason I'd recommend Five Feet Apart to everyone is it sheds light on how challenging living with Cystic Fibrosis can be. I knew nothing of this illness going in, other than a vague idea it affected the lungs. Five Feet Apart is an education not just on the illness, but on the lives those that suffer from it go through. It's incredibly human, raw and honest. After you watch it you'll be a better person with more empathy and compassion. 7/10, does most things right and is worth the time.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Dude this film is so sad wtf.

Nah it's real, and for the most part doesn't wallow in sadness until the final third. You could feel a death was coming and honestly the best mate in these films is always doomed. Oh I forgot to say the actor playing Poe (Moises Arias) is actually really good, he does a good job and is given some real moments to shine. Him being gay is treat with a great deal of respect, they don't do the thing of making the gay character overly *FABULOUSSSS*, which in a lot of these films makes me think the screenwriter just said f*ck it lets make him RuPaul. I love that Will gets kinda jealous of the relationship he has with Stella but then Poe is like "I don't fancy her because she's not a dude" and Will has this amazing moment of realisation. It's normal people having normal conversation, they just happen to have cystic fibrosis. They just happen to be gay. I guess the point I got from these scenes was that the way we are born shouldn't define us. I like that.

I thought the angle about her sister was really compelling too, the line "you have survivors guilt and are dying yourself" is really tough and hits super hard. I mean, he's not wrong, but it does show how absurd this man is when it comes to empathy. He literally starts the conversation by saying "your sister, she's dead isn't she?" I mean geez mate do you fancy this girl or are you just desperate to make her cry?

You could argue they're gonna be a bit socially awkward given the limited exposure they've had to the outside world, but then again they should be used to awkward conversations at this point. Although Will has a pretty hardcore attitude to death, he just is like yeah whatever death is coming, so maybe that's it. Maybe I don't get it. I just found him so unreasonably harsh in this conversation which I struggled to buy.

Loved the whole thing about let's take a foot back, so it's not six feet apart but five. I mean, medically that's risky and COVID is a thing. Oh you know what COVID really puts this film in context huh? Like I couldn't hug me mam Christmas 2020. That sucked. Not quite as brutal as Cystic Fibrosis but I am just saying we can all relate. I think doctors should say stay seven feet apart so when we take the foot back no one is at risk. MAYBE THEY ALREADY DID THAT!! So it really is five feet apart, but they say six for when our little renegades like Stella take one back. It's funny seeing this movie with them wearing masks, in 2019 it must've looked weird, now it looks weird that others aren't wearing masks in a hospital.

The final scenes of this film are really beautiful. I said the director did an average job for the most part but some of the final scenes are great. We finally get out the hospital and watching Stella give up on the rules she so stringently stuck to after Poe's death felt so real and so tragic. On the one hand I get it, YOLO live while we can, but then for this to happen JUST as lungs come in for her.... Alright it's kinda contrived and a bit mental the timing. Poe dies, they go off to the ice rink (the scary ice rink that can put you in the forever box), AND lungs come in? Just a mental night I guess.

Sorry, as I was saying, really beautiful stuff when he gives her the big kiss of life which in turn may be the kiss of death for her (and himself). Must've been hard for him to not cop a feel whilst he was there given he'd never get the chance again. I mean, you had ONE chance at Stella boob. Although consent wasn't garnered so I guess I'm just saying it's a shame she wasn't awake to provide consent. For boob.

I feel like I've gotten massively sidetracked here. 

Oh the lights at the end and him saying bye is big sad! The fact she can't talk means the actress really has to put some work in and she nails it.

Anyway all works out and they're both alive (for a bit, his days are numbered), bittersweet ending and ends with a great monologue about being able to touch each other. So get a loved one, squeeze them extra hard tonight and always get consent if you're gonna go for boob.