Love, Simon (2018) – Film Review
I don’t know how to start this review off, so I’ll just be honest: Love, Simon has opened my eyes. I can feel the long-rusted gears of human empathy beginning to churn again in my soul. Not only is this a touching film about what should be the best years in any kid’s life, but it has a poignant message about acceptance and not being ashamed to love yourself as you are. It’s an emotional ride, to be sure—an angsty “whodunit”, of sorts, until the final minutes.
Once it gets going, Simon really gets going. Slow, at first, and a bit awkward as the story gains traction, it was enjoyable unto the credits, after the first seven or ten minutes. The film is very good at keeping us guessing as to whom “Blue” is; we think it’s this person, then that option’s dashed. Through the twists and turns of his journey, we get a real feel for Simon (Nick Robinson; Jurassic World, Everything, Everything) and his struggle. Ups and downs, we feel them with him. A fully-formed character with a mind and feelings and agency like you wouldn’t believe. All his interactions with his friends—and their friendship, in general—are genuine. Their performances are great, and the relationships feel “lived-in”, for lack of a better term. Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Veep) comes around, too, eventually. Don’t get me wrong, I love him as the cartoonish vice principal of Simon’s school, but when he shows heart…damn, is it touching.
Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Garner, who need no introduction, are also phenomenal. I could’ve stranded more of them on-screen, but what they each had was enough for the sake of telling the story. Duhamel, especially, is not your run-of-the-mill oblivious father. When The Thing™️ happens, he takes it to heart; through tears, he apologizes to his son for all the years of “not knowing”, in case he ever hurt Simon. That was the scene that won me over—that this great character actor is, in actuality, so very versatile and emotional.
I’m going to side-step a minute, take a look at the (few) negatives…
The social satire is a bit on-the-nose. We get it, movie, you take place in 2018. We’re here, too—don’t need to prove you’re “hip” and “with it”. On the other hand, it didn’t feel like 2018, from the plot’s point-of-view. I get we’re still in the tender years of discussing sexuality and personal orientation, but some of the characters in the film make Simon’s closetedness out to be way bigger of a deal than it is. People wouldn’t act like this…or, maybe, that’s the point: Caricaturize some characters to make their stance on such issues seem invalid next to the core story—that’s the case with a couple of bullies in the film, anyway. Makes sense, I suppose, it’s just…not done very well. I didn’t role my eyes, but I was almost there…
The soundtrack is very hip. Loved it. Visually, this is also a very gorgeous film. Whether it’s Simon’s cluttered bedroom (which I’d kill for, it’s so cool…), or various outdoor settings, everything is detailed to the max and seamless. Just felt like we were following a bunch of high schoolers around their everyday shenanigans. There are no real pacing issues, and, as I said, after the opening few minutes, I was hooked. There’s a montage in there, once Simon and Blue start going back-and-forth online, that really caught my eye. It moves time along well, and manages to be as engaging, story-wise, as it is telling. It’s one of those tropes that’s hit-or-miss. This one, however, was really good.
I was super-anticipating the end… Who is Blue?! Like I said, the film keeps us guessing up to the last minute. I almost flipped when the reveal finally came, it was so obvious! But, therein lies my appreciation for this film; my preconceived notions were sometimes subverted, and sometimes not. A shell game of a plot that, like 2017’s The Space Between Us, did its twist very well. Sometimes, simple and straightforward is best.
Should check out the novel… God, if I had a dime for every time I said that, post-viewing… It’s a very well-conceived film, realized in its ideas and message, and is able to make me chuckle and choked up in equal measure. I feel like the novel (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli) is set up more like journal entries, from the way the film is presented, which, again, can be a hit-or-miss mode of storytelling. Not that I think Simon would be an unreliable narrator—clearly—but…I guess I’d have to pick it up and start reading to find out. As far as I can tell, though, this seems like a fair adaptation. No one’s griped about it, is what I’m trying to say—or, no one I’ve seen. Getting all the praise, which—in my outsider opinion—I also say it definitely deserves.
While, structurally, it has its flaws—and every film has at least one thing wrong with it, see CinemaSins for more on that—Simon is filmed very well. There aren’t any jarring moments, and our protagonist is as realized as they come. A glimpse into his life, it seems, that I didn’t want to end once the credits started rolling. I enjoyed that it was open-ended—where do they go from here, I wonder?—in that it left me on a high from these characters.
Love, Simon is a wholesome film. Final ‘Risk Assessment: *****/. I was really taken by this film. I feel…happier. The Greatest Showman cracked it open, and this film brought it full-circle.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0cbWdlQg_8&w=560&h=560]Next review: Pacific Rim: Uprising (Mar. 23rd)
