The Sun is Also a Star
Nothing speaks YA like a story about star-crossed lovers who are opposites, the power of love, and the everlasting presence of fate and destiny. In the case of Nicola Yoon’s popular novel The Sun is Also a Star, it relishes in those themes but utilizes them in a way that adds a twist to your typical romantic fantasy. Again, you can practically understand what the story is about based on that first sentence. So basically, expect plenty of sweet, cringe, and cheese with a little topping of metaphysics sprinkled here and there. The Sun is Also a Star never shies away from any of its cheesiness and corniness, but Ry Russo-Young’s direction as well as its two endearing leads are enough to keep you on board.
Natasha Kingsley (Yara Shahidi) is a physics student in New York City who’s looking for a bright future career in the realm of science. But her dreams have been halted as her family is being deported in a day back to their home country of Jamaica. Her desperation and anxiety eventually leads her to Daniel Bae (Charles Melton), a South Korean-American who dreams of one day becoming a poet rather than a doctor, which is what his family wants him to become. As a person of reason and rationale, Natasha doesn’t believe in the concept of love, so Daniel, who does believe in love, tasks himself with getting her to fall in love with him within a day. Together, they spend the day getting to know one another as love begins to reveal itself between the polar opposites.
Much of the story relies on your typical, paint-by-numbers romantic narrative structure. An issue is presented, both protagonists are natural opposites, they get along, a conflict ensues between them, the conflict is resolved, and then the ending. That’s why it’s fortunate it doesn’t result in a meandering, tedious viewing experience, as Russo-Young’s direction ensures that it isn’t. But nonetheless, it isn’t extraordinary or exceptional in the ways other recent romantic films such as 2017’s The Big Sick and 2018’s Love, Simon have been. It stands by its own formulaic structure and doesn’t shy away from it.
It also doesn’t help that the story feels fairly simplistic. The story is designed to cover societal as well as philosophical topics and quandaries. It deals with metaphysical questions about love, the universe, and destiny, while at the same time handles societal issues of immigration and racism. Sadly, it feels as though some topics got a bigger spotlight than the rest. While love and destiny are ever present throughout, the more social issues don’t feel as strong as they could be. For instance, a subplot revolving around Daniel’s brother is only brought up occasionally and never develops into fruition. It’s simply there and is hardly explored. There’s another point where Natasha encounters racial stereotypes and insults but the topic is brushed aside immediately afterwards. It seems that that’s the price of basing your story on source material containing a multitude of differing topics.
Despite the familiar storyline, however, as mentioned before, Russo-Young’s direction keeps the film alive with a more vibrant take on the story. We’re presented with a rich and visually lively depiction of NYC as we traverse the city landscape with warmth and spirit. It creates a welcoming and almost quaint environment that makes the story feel much more enticing and inviting. It’s because of this tender approach to the cinematography that the story never feels bland and flat.
A lot of that enjoyment can also be found between both of our protagonists. As mentioned before, both are meant to act as polar opposites to one another. Natasha approaches things through the scientific method and believing in things that can be observed, and Yara Shahidi handles that mindset exceptionally well while also effectively displaying her changing world-view as the film progresses. Shahidi bounces back between skepticism and sarcasm to desperation and worry and she portrays that balance really well.
On the other end, Daniel is an aspiring romantic poet who views his meeting with Natasha as destiny and can get fairly metaphysical with it. Charles Melton comes off as more charismatic and upbeat than Shahidi, and he pulls that charm off really well. He’s a guy full of the right kind of swag and knows what to say and when to say it, and that makes him incredibly likable. Both actors play their roles very well, and their chemistry is mostly prevalent throughout the whole story, given their entertaining back-and-forth banter as well as their philosophical musings.
Overall, The Sun is Also a Star is a romantic drama meant for fans of romantic dramas, but it is by far one of the better ones. The story hinges on all your basic romantic tropes and never pulls off anything revolutionary to warrant everyone to go see it. But both Shahidi and Melton pull off their romantic entanglement with charm and sweetness and Russo-Young’s cinematography enhances the warmth and vibrancy of the story. Even though it isn’t a must-see film of the summer, if you’re a fan of these types of stories, then you’ll probably get a kick out of its sincerity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3On0BXzGnuI&t=1s&w=585