“There are bright places even in the dark times, and if there isn’t you can be that bright place with infinite capacities…”
- Title: All the Bright Places
- Director: Brett Haley
- Release date: 28th February 2020
All the Bright Places. A slow burner, but definitely worth the watch.
All the Bright Places is a touching teen romance film with much darker undertones. The film follows the life of recently bereaved Violet Markey (played by the brilliant Elle Fanning) as she finds comfort in the quirky, cheeky character of Theodore Finch (played by Justice Smith). As the film progresses, we see Violet come out of her shell as sadly, Finch falls deeper into a state of depression. As a fan of the Fanning sisters, I initially had high hopes for this film, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.
Adapted from the novel All the Bright Places written by Jennifer Niven, the film cleverly highlights the effects and actions of someone struggling from mental health illness. In both the book and the movie, we are never exposed to what illness Finch is struggling with which I think was a smart move by Niven. It allows the film to reflect the real-life issue of someone who is struggling with an undiagnosed mental health illness. As an audience member, we view the movie through Violet’s eyes as she witnesses Finch’s actions and only begins to understand them in the closing scenes. This use of perception is what makes the film so intriguing. Like Violet, we are viewing the actions of someone who is suffering without even realising it.
On the whole, this beautiful film deals with the harsh realities of mental illness. As well as tackling this issue, the moving performances by both Fanning and Smith are breathtaking, as they allow the audience to be moved to tears (definitely a film for when you need a good cry). With all this being said, in the wise words of Theodore Finch “You are all the colours in one, at full brightness.” Never forget that.
If you would like to find any further information about mental health, please visit: www.allthebrightplacesfilm.info
Tia's Not-So-Secret-Diary 