"It feels both of the medium (movie and book) have a specialize thing to be enjoyed with"
All The Boys I've Loved Before (2018) | 7.5/10
Based on novel by Jenny Han (from the same title book)
Directed by Susan Johnson | Written by Sofia Alvarez
Starred : Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish
Lara Jean Song Covey (Lana Condor), American-Korean Girl, 16 tahun, being invisible is her middle name, nggak pernah pacaran sepanjang hidupnya eh tapi bukan berarti nggak pernah jatuh hati sama seseorang. Ada 5 orang yang pernah menarik perhatiannya selama 16 tahun dia hidup yaitu Kenny, Peter Kavinsky, Lucas, John Ambrose McClaren, dan Josh - yang juga tetangga sebelah rumahnya dan sayangnya juga mantan pacar Margot (Janel Parrish), kakaknya sendiri.
Tapi apa yang bisa dilakuin Lara Jean? Ngomong langsung soal perasaannya? Jelas nggak mungkin. Quirky Lara Jean memilih menyampaikan perasaannya lewat sepucuk surat cinta yang sebenernya ditujukan untuk kelima pria tersebut tapi pada akhirnya cuma tersimpan di kotak rahasianya. But uh-huh, it wasn't her luck that day, semua surat cinta yang harusnya tidak pernah dibaca siapapun tiba-tiba terkirim kepada lima pria tersebut.
Diantara kelima pria tersebut, Lara Jean paling mengkhawatirkan jika Josh (Israel Broussard) menerima suratnya. Gimana enggak? Hubungan persahabatan mereka bisa rusak dan he's Margot's ex-boyfriend after all, she can't do that to Margot. Untuk menghindari ke-awkward-an ketika tau bahwa Josh telah membaca suratnya, Lara Jean terpaksa melibatkan the popular-lacrosse-guy Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centinio).
Lara Jean suddenly encountered a drama scene she thought it was only in her fantasy, and she's start questioning where's her middle name went?
source: imdb
Kalau bisa bicara to the point. Do I love the movie? I like it but this might not one of my favorite. I do think it's a sweet movie, but I know there's a lot of sweet-er romcom than this one.
The thing that I love about the movie is the message from its story is pretty strong and well-delivered. I would say, the fan of the book might be a little disappointed by how LOTS of sweetest thing missing from the scene. I mean MOST OF THE SWEETEST THING. BUT...BUT.... If you never read the book before, you will get how warm ambiance this movie could offer.
It's about a pretty innocent girl living in her fantasy, a quite person with lots of emotion burning in her head and heart. One day, her life seems like messing around but she tried something she never think she can do, to open her heart and let something real dive into her life. It's about giving something real chance to get into your life.
I think in some perspective the message is quite different with most of the rom-com hough, so I do recommend you to watch this - most importantly if you love rom-com or in a process to find out who you are and how should you fit in with this world, OR maybe just want something light to be your company in satnite.
The pace might be too fast, and feels like lack of chemistry between the one character to another but every Kavinsky and Covey moment killed it in anyway, I do admiring their sweet scenes. Lots of cuteness everywhere!!
source: imdb
I guess this movie could be get any better in some areas.
First, Janel Parrish? Seriously? Janel Parrish a Korean born girl? You must be kidding me. In addition, Kitty is absolutely nothing from my imagination of "that" Kitty Song.
Secondly, hey I thought they are a true sister, I mean that I-would-be-death-without-you sister, ehm cannot see the chemistry there.
And the climax went just like that. Just like that. Quite and like that. Okay, fine, if that's the best this movie can do.
I guess there's a lot choices of punchline or quotes that can be taken from book, but maybe, just maybe, the screenwriter think that's not the best or better than what hers.
I think there's also something wrong about the exploration of character from each cast, I don't know who's responsible for this but I can't get the character well enough in the movie as their emotion didn't come out completely.
And, the cat request thingy just left like that? Ok.
source: imdb
If you want to give a chance by reading the book (or maybe you had), then you will understand how this movie actually completed the soul of the story.
The book fully expressed how sweet every moment is between Lara Jean to the other characters whether with Peter or Margot or Josh even Kitty. You can see how strong Lara Jean's emotion and how innocent she could be. The powerful quotes would dropped you into pieces and crave you to get some more.
But the movie is different. It brings a different thing. It offers you a true message, what real life should happens, what this story actually wants to tell you and that what you should understand about it. I can say, Jenny Han is pretty amazing with work on both things. She doesn't let the gap obstruct between the Lara Jean's universe, she just offers a different choice.
If you want to enjoy the sweetness and the universe, read the book
If you want to enjoy the message she wants to tell you about, watch the movie
Jenny Han truly smart in optimizing the function of visual medium and word medium, and that's make this story is perfectly completed.
Salam Hombimba,
Graisa S
xoxo