Ever since Shakespear wrote Romeo & Juliet, this theme for storyline fare has been used a great deal. Certainly Hollywood is no stranger to this concept. Whether the film is directly about a couple who quickly falls in love, or a couple stars within the film as part of the plot but not necessarily is what the film is about, this has become a common staple for storylines. Since these films are popular, it's no doubt that "The Sun Is Also a Star" will be popular since it's about young love.
College-bound romantic Daniel Bae (Charles Melton) and Jamaica-born Natasha Kingsley (Yara Shahidi) meet--and eventually fall for each other, after Daniel claims that he can cause skeptic Natasha to fall in love with him in a day--she says he has an hour. This all happens over one magical day amidst the fervor and flurry of New York City. Sparks soon fly between these two strangers, who might never have met had fate not given them a little push. But will fate be enough to take these teens from star-crossed to lucky in love? With just hours on the clock in what looks to be her last day in the U.S., Natasha is fighting against her family's deportation as fiercely as she's fighting her budding feelings for Daniel, who is working just as hard to convince her they are destined to be together.
Others to round out the cast are John Leguizamo as Mr. Martinez, Keong Sim as Dae Hyun Bae, Daniel's father, Gbenga Akinnagbe as Samuel Kingsley, Natasha's father, Jake Choi as Charlie Bae, Daniel's older brother, Cathy Shim as Min Soo Bae, Daniel's mother, Camrus Johnson as Omar, Daniel's buddy and Miriam A. Hyman as Patricia Kingsley, Natasha's mother.
This was effectively directed by Ry Russo-Young ("Orphans" '07, "You Won't Miss Me" '09, "Nobody Walks" '12, "Before I Fall" '17) plus TV and shorts. What makes this story work is that of the chemistry between the two young stars, Shahidi and Melton, and this has so much to do with the directing. Certainly casting is, no doubt, important, however it takes a talented filmmaker to make these relative newer actors compelling in their respective roles. She should and will receive more work. It was well thought out by writer Tracy Oliver ("Barbershop: The Next Cut" '16, "Girls Trip" '17) plus TV and shorts, based on a novel by Nicola Yoon. This is the quintessential Romeo & Juliet love story which most people can't resist. Also the way this writer combined two totally different personas together and, through her writing, was able to pull off a connection between these two was refreshing. Natasha being the cynic, everything has to be proved by science, nothing's destined, nothing's chance, whereas Daniel is positive, is faith based, believes in destiny, is a clever premise. Considering her other two films she wrote, she definitely has proven her ability at the laptop, and I see her creating more work for us to enjoy. The only thing I could say about this as an issue is the fact that it was a bit too slow in some places, and with this only being a 100 minute running time, this should've sailed right along. Mind you, this did not make any sort of a dent in not enjoying this. Call me a hopeless romantic, but this was heartfelt and touching.
If you like love stories, you'll love this. It's has a similar feel of films like "The Fault in Our Stars" '14 and the recent, "Five Feet Apart" '19, minus the illnesses. As we're in the summer film season, it's sure nice to see something that's small and heartfelt, instead of action-packed, adrenaline-ridden with tons of visual effects.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG-13 100mins.
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