Even though “The Fault in Our Stars” has a hard time getting away from some of the trappings of angsty teen movies, the film ends up being an intelligent, well-done look at death among young love.

The film follows Hazel (Shailene Woodley), a 17-year-old girl who has been living with cancer from a young age. While in a support group for her illness she meets Augustus (Ansel Elgort), and the two become close over a shared bond of wit in the face of impending death. Plus, Willem Dafoe plays crotchety author Van Houten.

For the first hour of this film, I couldn’t believe how predictable it was. It was overly sentimental and I almost could not stand it, but about halfway through, the film really opened up for me. These characters are acutely aware that life ends, sometimes suddenly, and it was refreshing to see a film intended for young adults that doesn’t sugarcoat death. Terrible things happen to people who don’t deserve them, and the film directly states that’s just how life is sometimes.

Even though I enjoyed the film, there were aspects of it that felt kind of manipulative. The characters were interesting enough, but there were times where it felt like Augustus and Hazel’s relationship was intense only because of all the bad things surrounding them, not because of the relationship itself. I recall a line in the film’s trailer about not letting cancer define you, but at times it seems like the film actually shows the opposite. Of course having cancer is a huge aspect of their lives, but I would have liked to see a little more of who they are rather than mutual understanding of a shared disease.

The biggest thing keeping this film from feeling unauthentic is the acting. Woodley was funny and direct, but angsty and emotional when the script called for it. Elgort was also well-cast as Augustus, and I was impressed by his performances in the film’s darker scenes. Much of the film relies on the two leads being believable, and in that regard the film does a fine job.

“The Fault in Our Stars” is too sappy at times, but overall it is a well-done film that delivers a satisfying story about finding something that makes life worth it despite how fragile life can be.

4 out of 5 Stars