The Sun Is Also a Star (2019) Poster

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5/10
Tried to fit in too many coincidences
brucebigelow-108736 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I enjoyed the movie for the most part.The two lead actors did a good job in the story of two people falling in love falling in love in just one day. I think the amount of "fate" coincidences got to the point of being ridiculous.And why would a student trying to get into Dartmouth as a doctor go to a lawyer he doesn't even know to get a recommendation for college?
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6/10
a contemporary romance
ferguson-616 May 2019
Greetings again from the darkness. Taking star-crossed lovers to a new dimension, director Ry Russo-Young (BEFORE I FALL, 2017) presents Nicola Yoon's best-selling YA novel as a traditional love-at-first-sight romance augmented with contemporary twists and issues. Tracy Oliver (GIRLS TRIP, 2017) adapted the story for the screen and enhances the familiar trope with racial, cultural, economic and political aspects - resulting in a romance meant to both charm and influence. If only those enhancements had played a larger role, this little film might really have had something to say.

The film certainly succeeds with its charm. Yara Shahidi ("Black-ish") and Charles Melton ("Riverdale") star as Natasha and Daniel, respectively. These are two beautiful young people blessed with electric smiles to complement their great hair and world class cheek bones. She is a Jamaican immigrant and a scientific prodigy as a high school junior, whereas he is a first generation U.S. born Korean who writes poetry while prepping for his Dartmouth admission interview. His family long ago christened him as the one who would be doctor.

Loosely based on the courtship of author Nicola Yoon and her husband, even the meet-cute for Natasha and Daniel has a theme: Deus Ex Machina - God from the Machine, where magical powers or destiny bring the two together. Not only does Natasha wear a jacket with the Latin phrase, but the conductor on Daniel's subway even counsels the delayed passengers to "Open up your heart to destiny." OK, by now you know if this is your type of movie or not. I would offer a mild caution to naysayers with this - Natasha and Daniel are fun to watch as they get to know each other, and there are some breath-taking shots of New York City interspersed throughout the film courtesy of cinematographer Autumn Durald. These two things make the film watchable no matter how deep your allergy to cuteness runs, although the tour of NYC sometimes has the feel of (a well photographed) tourist brochure.

The political side of the story comes courtesy of Natasha's 'last hope' meeting at the immigration office to postpone her family's deportation scheduled for the next day. We only get to see quick glimpses of the process, but it's enough to understand the red tape she has tried to maneuver in order to keep her family in NYC after 9 years. More of immigration attorney John Leguizamo would have contributed a bit of substance to the film. The immigration topic is also broached in Daniel's family as his parents came to the country and started their own business. The American Dream giveth and taketh away. The immigration bits work as plot devices, but the film is most comfortable as a story of star-crossed lovers accompanied by "Crimson and Clover" in a karaoke bar. However the film's biggest mystery might be how the couple survived sleeping all night in a New York park without getting mugged or even needing to brush their teeth before their crucial meetings. The magic of love.
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5/10
Cringy for Me
jessevasse20 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Today I watched "The Sun Is Also a Star" without knowing anything about the movie. The movie poster only made me aware of the genre: a romantic teen movie. Hence, I immediately knew that I did not belong to its target audience. Thanks to my Pathé Unlimited Movie Pass, I decided to give it a chance anyway.

The most disappointing was the acting for me. The lead actor (Charles Melton) and lead actress (Yara Shahidi) lacked chemistry in my opinion. Furthermore, I did not feel many of their 'monologues' & emotional moments...

I am still wondering to what extent writing/directing had an influence on the acting quality though. Unfortunately I did not watch any other movies with these actors, so I am not sure whether they are bad actors in general haha.

Positive points for some beautiful shots and a fairly 'original' approach with regard to directing a teen romance movie. Am I the only one who thought director Ry Russo-Young got inspired by Adam McKay's latest movies (e.g., The Big Short)?

Most noteworthy for me is that I never cringed so much due to a combination of bad acting, writing and directing. So if you are not part of its target audience, be prepared to cringe! Teenagers may relate to some of the issues the characters are dealing with, but I would still avoid as a teenager if you do not like romance movies in general. :)
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7/10
A Frank Borzage type film
bkoganbing23 August 2019
If The Sun Is Also A Star had been made back in the old studio days I could see Frank Borzage directing. Borzage was great in directing a film about young lovers being caught up in circumstances beyond their control. This is a Borzage film if I ever saw one.

This one is a real sleeper and I'm sure glad I picked out this at the Red Box rental. Without ever mentioning the name of the 45th president this film is stinging indictment of the current ruthless and racist immigration policies now in place. In fact the only reference is a remark made by immigration attorney John Leguizamo about the current political climate.

Yara Shahidi and her parents and siblings are facing deportation back to Jamaica. A real blow as she is a high school student ready to graduate with honors and looking to study astronomy. On the day before the deportation she meets Charles Melton a mixed racial kid who is of Korean descent. The two spend a very special day with Shahidi fearing this will be just a moment in time and Melton who wants to be a poet determined to make it last.

Shahidi and Melton are one appealing pair of leads. They illustrate better than anything the pain and heartbreak that current immigration policies are causing.

Don't let this one get by.
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4/10
Book was way way better
BlackSheep77318 May 2019
After seeing a commercial for this movie, I decided to read the book, which I LOVED! Naturally, I expected to like the movie as much as I liked the book. Yeah, didn't happen. The events in the movie seem more rushed, and that takes away from their impact on causing the characters to fall in love.

The most epic disappointment for me was that the movie does not contain the side stories of some minor characters like the book does (and the character with the most touching side story isn't even in the movie). I really liked the "everybody has a story" element that was throughout the book and wish it were in the movie.

Like another reviewer said, maybe you'll like this movie if you haven't read the book, but if you have read the book, don't bother.
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7/10
Trying To Shine In New Contemporary Light
rgkarim18 May 2019
New week and time for a new style of review. Today's first review is all about the wave of hits that the drama and romance genres hold in teenage culture. Another book turned to film, Hollywood is hoping to take this week as a means to capitalize on the author's work. Yet, much of the market is flooded with generic knock offs and repeats that come famous on channels like Hallmark and Lifetime. Will today's film be all about seeing if it can defy the trend of mundane and become the next staple in cinema history? Robbie K here to provide a review on:

Movie: The Sun Is Also A Star (2019)

Director: Ry Russo-Young Writers: Tracy Oliver (screenplay), Nicola Yoon (novel) Stars: Yara Shahidi, Charles Melton, Keong Sim

LIKES:

Good Acting Fitting Music Nice Use of Background Details/Connecting A Bit Different of A Twist

DISLIKES:

Very Cliché Predictable Very Rushed Cheesy At Times Other Characters Only Substantially Used Stories that are Blunt Ending That's Mundane Does not Feel Like A Love Story

Fans Who Like These Movies May Like This Film: Notebook Fault In our Stars Five Feet Apart One Day



SUMMARY:

In regards to this film, The Sun Is Also Star feels more like a buddy adventure than a true love story. The acting between Melton and Shahidi has good chemistry, filled with a dynamic that holds the emotional spectrum that is common of the characters in these types of films. It helps bring a relationship to gear on to and will most likely be relatable to the key demographic. Their story holds some unique flavor to it compare to others by offering a twist in the form of a very set timeline along with an ending that offers a refreshing take on these types of films. My favorite part would be more so the background details that somehow tell another part of the story, hidden nods for details that will later be revealed in the ending. Yet, the film does not quite deliver in the usual pizazz that these movies hold, getting too caught up in the one-day time limit to deliver on the quality cries and emotions these films like to use. Still it does not escape the predictable and cliché story telling that fans love, but rather than true love and a believable romance we instead get a very cheesy tale that offers little sustenance. The film feels more like two friends starting out on a friendship, that rapidly changes as each hour passes. In addition, many of the tales have blunt finishes, with the secondary characters adding little to the movie overall, which was a shame given all the personal problems the leading characters had with their family's style of raising them. Overall, the movie is not bad, a nice attempt at changing the formula that has been a staple in the genre. Sadly, the movie feels a little rushed, leaving much of the meat of the book remaining in the pages instead of onscreen. This adventure is not quite the epic love story that so many fall in love with, but at the same time it at least brings some emotional moments and a relationship that has believable components to it. It's a relevant story to the target audience and I feel that it has good value as a home viewing rather than a theater visit, but overall missing that full spark that romance movies bring.

My scores are:

Drama/Romance: 7.0 Movie Overall: 5.0
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4/10
Trailer was better than entire film
cmalek9817 May 2019
Gosh, I wanted to love this! The trailer made me emotional every time I watched it. But the movie fell flat. What went wrong: chemistry was only felt during a few scenes, not enough dramatic background music to help set the mood, too many dizzying scenes, ending was strange and a little disjointed, idk. Best scene was in the karaoke bar but you already saw most of it in the trailer. Wait for video. 😔
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8/10
Pretty good.
I could be just a hopeless romantic but the movie was nice. I have actually fallen in love with someone in the course of a day or a long bus ride. The relationship lasted for a long time but wasn't perfect. Sometimes it's easier for people with different backgrounds to fall in love than with similar backgrounds. Hey, it's not like we haven't seen the rise in interracial relationships in American and I'm all for it.
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7/10
Let go of reality and just enjoy the ride
muamba_eats_toast16 August 2019
I don't understand the hate the films getting tbh the films leads are extremely likeable and charismatic and overall give good performances the story is engaging to. Yes it's unrealistic and unlikely to ever happen but just let yourself be a dreamer for a few hours, suspend reality and enjoy the ride this film will take you on. A feel good film that is above average at the very least.
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4/10
Kinda Bad
miajosephine18 May 2019
I mean.... it was really boring, especially the beginning. Having read the book, I found that it was missing important things. I don't know if I would recommend it. But I mean if you haven't read the book you might have a better experience than I had.
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8/10
All about young love and believing!
lareasley27 June 2019
I really enjoyed the whole movie, beginning to end! All about young love, taking chances, believing in something, power of positive thinking and following your dreams! Don't believe the bad reviews, treat yourself to this little gem of a movie! It'll make your day better!
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6/10
It's Not Awful
oliviashearer26 May 2021
The two leads clearly have great chemistry but the story drags a lot. Also, weird karaoke scene. It was a good movie but I wouldn't want to watch it again.
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4/10
Boring romantic story that is forgettable.
cruise0131 August 2019
The Sun is Also a Star (2 out of 5 stars).

The Sun is also a Star is a dull and boring romantic drama film. The plot being about Daniel (Charles Melton) who is suppose to be a medical student. Who falls for Natasha (Yara Shahidi) who doesn't believe in love. And has one day left in New York until her family is deported to Jamaica. They both fall for each other.

The plot is boring and dull. It is cliché. And predictable. Every thing bad you can expect for a romantic drama film. The acting is dull. The two leads are forgettable.

Overall, The Sun is also a Star is a bad film. Boring acting, terrible direction, the script is forgettable, and the story does not do anything new with the material.
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Social justice propaganda slipped into in every moment
johntravolta1234523 May 2019
Agendas ruin movies. Especially not-so-hidden in your face ideological agendas that hijack the whole point of the film. This could have been a nice cute heartwarming story. Instead it felt cold, fake, and plastic. F-
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7/10
Why not hire Korean-American actors to play Korean-Americans
randy-durband30 November 2019
Only 1 of 4 of the actors playing the Korean family were actual Koreans. Why not make a bit more effort for authenticity in the casting?

It's a cute story, mostly well executed. But having one huge coincidence is enough, such as the two important appointments being held in the same building, but it was very silly to have both appointments be with the same person working in different fields. Silly to the point of distraction.
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3/10
Acting ok - movie not so much
Joluvscards27 May 2019
If they take out all the scenes of the skylines and them staring into each other's eyes or buildings the movie would be about 40 minutes.

The main actors are pretty good and attractive. But come on if you look up sappy in the dictionary this movie would be listed.
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7/10
A good romance movie concept but not touching me
syaril-9901910 September 2020
I think the movie concepts is good, the acting is ok the cinematography is not bad but I don't feeling emotional with the love story. Not a bad movie but not get into me.
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2/10
I did not read the book
desbathke25 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This movie was very slow. Halfway through I was ready to "change the channel." I loved the idea of the story, but it was poorly executed. I had no connection to the characters and honestly didn't care. I feel like it's because there wasn't chemistry between the two main characters and neither one convinced me of their stories and who they are. Also, why was it important for the viewer to know that the Lawyer was the dude on the bike that almost got hit? And no one takes that long to open a door and walk out. The dramatic pause was a bit theatrical.
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8/10
YA done right :)
christylynn8219 May 2019
It's about family, love, and following your hearts desire. The storyline and education of immigrants in America was relevant. Both Jamaican American and Asian American cultures were represented in a beautiful way. The chemistry between Yara and Charles was palpable. The city of New York was the third love of this film. Do yourself a favor, support the young artists. Buy a ticket. You won't be disappointed.
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6/10
Teenage romance with serendipity in New York
madanmarwah23 March 2021
This film is for the the incurable romantics and believers of fate and serendipity It is mushy and cheesy in parts in a sweet sort of a way. The setting is New York and the players are two Asian American teenagers Daniel and Natasha who meet accidentally ,spend the entire day together and eventually fall in love as predicted by Daniel. Natasha is spending her last day in New York as her family has been deported and they have to move to Jamaica the next day. She is making a last ditch effort through immigration authorities to get them to cancel the deportation. Daniel is a romantic self made poet on the way to reluctantly attend an interview which will help him to get admitted to a medical course (something which his parents desperately want). Daniel gets attracted to Natasha since the Latin phrase which he likes is also inscribed on Natasha's backpack, that is" Deus ex machina" (which means an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation). He has just heard that one needs to " open one's heart to destiny". He also feels that if he now makes eye contact with Natasha for 4 minutes, she will fall in love with him. These two teenagers whose beliefs are opposites in nature meet and argue about life, destiny, future etc. Daniel feels that they are destined to be together but she feels otherwise. A couple of events follow on that day ( coincidences as per Natasha and strokes of serendipity as per Daniel ), which bring both together and love happens. Both teenagers make the proceedings lovable with their natural acting, and the setting of New York becomes an active part of the plot. The director Russo Young has made a sweet film for the young which is engaging fare.
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5/10
Doesn't make sense
kovacsbiankag26 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I really wanted this to work, but it didn't. There are a lot of little failures in the plot that didn't make any sense to me. The soundtrack is also a flop. In the end when they're kissing and this trap/rap song has started to play i've cringed. Long story short:very YA
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9/10
Surprisingly a nice movie was not expected
I didn't want to watch this movie since the trailer sucked and didn't do justice for the actual movie. Luckily my wife wanted to watch it so we did. Very cute and worth watching with your lady. Good story based on destiny and the signs we normally miss.
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7/10
ticking clock problem
SnoopyStyle30 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Desperate Natasha Kingsley (Yara Shahidi) is facing deportation to Jamaica with her family by the next day. Reluctant Daniel Jae Ho Bae (Charles Melton) is facing college for his Korean immigrant parents. He notices her staring at the ceiling of Grand Central Terminal and he falls in love. The problem is that she doesn't believe in love. He saves her life and bets that he could make her fall in love with him.

A ticking clock is often required for a thriller. It is sometimes useful for other genres. I compare this to Before Sunrise where the ticking clock is the next train. This ticking clock is deportation and that's a little too dire. It overshadows the love story. The deportation is so dangerous that the love story becomes a minor aspect in its own story. It needs to relax some of the tension by moving the deportation date. Otherwise, there is a very good Before Sunrise romance against the backdrop of the wonderful New York City streetscape. The two leads are beautiful, charismatic, and wonderfully cross-cultural. It is modern and New York City. Even with the cheesy life-saving premise, the romance is a real winner. The ticking clock does tick too loudly. If I was getting deported, I would simply wait at that office until the lawyer comes back. I would show up at 11am and wait all day. There is no time or head space to fall in love. Also, one would expect Daniel to propose marriage even if she rejects him. I kept waiting for the citizenship marriage argument and dig deep into its legality. The story needs to push back the date to the moment Natasha reads the deportation letter and give them thirty days. That way, she could have a confrontation with her parents and discovering for the first time that she's not actually a citizen. Those are good emotional scenes that this movie missed. Otherwise, this is a great love letter to romance, cross culture, and New York City.
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5/10
Not a bad idea for a film but ended up something of nothing
coombsstephen11 August 2019
The idea for this film is quite good and the acting wasn't bad but it's just way too drawn out and what starts as a good idea ends as a ridiculous facepalm. I won't spoil the ending but just when I thought the film had a good twist it let itself down yet again, just as it did with all the blatantly telegraphed turns in the story.

It's a shame this story wasn't pushed a long at a decent pace and given a few more punchy moments rather than trying to be an endless string of musical montages, which made it like a long pop video at times.

Shame really, it felt like a chance missed for a very good film.
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Dull and offensive
Gordon-1110 August 2019
This film tells the story of a young woman who meets a guy on the day before her deportation.

There is simply not enough material to fill up ninety minutes. The film is slow, dull and the film really drags on. I watched it at double the speed, and it was just bearable. Another thing that really bugs me is that the supposedly Korean protagonist is not even Asian. He clearly does not look Asian. It is as offensive as Emma Stone playing an Asian character in "Aloha".
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