The Half of It Movie Review: A tender, coming-of-age romantic triangle

Story: Ellie Chu, often ridiculed by her school mates for being too nerdy, takes on an off campus project to draft love letters and guide a fellow student, Paul, in order to help him pursue the girl he’s in love with, Aster. Only, it seems as though Ellie herself may be nurturing feelings for her too.Review: Set in the small, non-descript American town of Squahamish, ‘The half of it’ navigates through friendship, sexuality and love with a tender touch. The film, a queer Asian American romance, is director Alice Wu’s second outing after 15 years, her first one being ‘Saving face’. Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) has a humdrum existence, living alone with her dad and trying to get by in school by taking on homework assignments of other students who bully her. Defined by her meek demeanour and dowdy appearance, Ellie comes across as someone who would rather fade into oblivion than draw any attention to herself. But Paul (Daniel Diemer), member of the school football team, at the same time awkward and bumbling, seeks her out since he wants her help with an unusual assignment. He wants her to write love letters on his behalf to Aster (Alexxis Lemire), the girl in school who he has feelings for. As Ellie grudgingly takes on the job, in exchange of money, what unfolds is a mélange of confusion and chaotic feelings that comes with being teenagers, ultimately unsure of themselves and in the process of coming of age. Taking it’s time to sensitively explore a budding friendship between two diverse personality types and the sexual orientation of its characters, ‘The half of it’ makes for a soothing watch. While it also touches upon themes of loneliness and isolation. The trio of young actors – Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer and Alexxis Lemire – play out the complex, layered feelings of their characters skillfully and leave a lasting impression.Also, there are touches in the film added by Wu, which enhance its subtle and delicate sensibility. The depression felt by Ellie’s father, the use of literature, books and art to make an emotional connect, Ellie’s dowdiness never really getting that magical makeover – thankfully skipping the trope, to point out a few. And ultimately using Ellie’s voiceover to connect the dots even as she sets the tone with her first few words in the film, “This is not a love story — or not one where anyone gets what they want.”‘The half of it’, a Netflix film, moves at its own pace, much like its adolescent characters who take their time to discover themselves and their web of feelings and makes for a stirring and delightful watch even as it subverts a few tropes and expectations.