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piccolina-mina · 4 years

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Netflix's The Half of It is a coming of age story done right.

The beauty of the film is how it framed love -- asking what it is, figuring out what it means, and defining it while displaying it in various forms. And Romantic love was the least prominent of the bunch.

Different people will take different things away from this film, and it will resonate and speak to many in several ways, but at the heart of the film was the friendship that developed between Ellie and Paul.

The core relationship could make or break this film of platonic love, longing, and self-discovery, and fortunately, the chemistry between Leah Lewis and Daniel Diemer is exceptional.

They perfectly encapsulate the lovable himbo and the exasperated lesbian dynamic that has become the most beloved platonic staple.

The ease with which they became friends happened so quickly, and deeply, it was hard to believe there was a time when they weren't. But that was part of what made their friendship love story poignant.

For both of them, it was the first time they were ever seen by another person, and young, old, straight, or queer, isn't that what everyone ever really wants?

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The cinematography of this film was fantastic, the setting was its very own character, capturing the almost claustrophobic nature of this small, seemingly drab, NorthPacific town.

It was both beautiful and insular in its depiction, where you understood the charm and safety in staying in the familiar as well as the desperate need to break free and get out.

Ellie's coming of age story wasn't about a coming-out story. The movie never even bothered to loudly proclaim that she was a lesbian, and it wasn't the same-old, overwrought angst of coming to grips with one's sexuality and seeking acceptance of it.

It's impressive how it could be so visually breathtaking and convey the feeling of being trapped all at once, but then, the majority of the film was so deliberate in its shots and frames, sounds, and feels.

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While there is nothing wrong with those stories, and they're important too, it's nice to have a film where the entire story doesn't rest on a character's queerness. Ellie just existed, in her small, Conservative town, and she happened to be a lesbian, but it wasn't the driving force behind telling her story.

It was only a piece of her story. It wasn't the only thing that defined her.

She didn't have to seek Paul's acceptance when he realized the truth. She never had to "come out" to him in the first place.

And when he responded with a heartbreaking echo of the conservative and religious values that their small town held dear, Ellie was sad and disappointed, but it didn't break her.

And it was up to Paul to work through his ignorance and reconcile with his feelings. He loved Ellie, and his love for her wouldn't change, so his beliefs on the matter did. And this happened while also not writing him or even their small-town values off or necessarily mocking them.

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And for the most part, the labor he had to do was done offscreen. Because, Paul potentially not accepting his best friend was a Paul problem, not an Ellie one.

You sympathize with Paul when he misconstrued that love he felt for her, that they felt for each other, as romantic. Because isn't that the problem with society? We put a higher value on romantic and sexual love, even though friendship is just as deep, encompassing, and powerful.

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And credit to Alexxis Lemire; the narrative trusted that the viewer could read through the lines and didn't spoonfeed them things, so Lemire's physicality with her performance communicated everything we needed.

Aster posing questions and coming to grips with her sexuality was a quiet, internal, and personal journey for her. It was something we suspected, but she had privacy, and that's how it should be.

You could see the little moments when Aster was caught off guard by the feelings she was having for Ellie, or when she felt something Ellie said or did was familiar and similar to the conversations she thought she was having with Paul.

The scene at the water spring was one of the most arresting of all. For one, it was visually striking as she and Ellie floated in the water, the physical distance between them closing the longer they spoke ....

The use of space was brilliant throughout the movie, but none more than those final moments of Ellie and Aster on opposite sides of the road, the yellow lines between them.

They were at different points, and they were on different journeys. But there was still the promise of them coming together in the future. Without having to come out with it all, it was evident that Aster was beginning to understand some parts of herself, and she wasn't ready for anything beyond that yet.

And Ellie understood it without judging her, and she gave her that space while also letting her know she would be there when she was ready. But it wouldn't hinder either of them from pursuing their paths at Grinnell and art school.

Aster and Ellie had separate journeys they needed to embark on, and that self-love and discovery took precedent, but ...

Source: TVFanatic The Half Of It Review: A Different, Refreshing Take on a Coming of Age Love Story!

#the half of it #the half of it spoilers #the half of it netflix

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