'TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE' film review
The film was quite talked about and popular when I heard about it as it attracted many people of my age group, so I was intrigued to watch it.
The film is about a girl who wrote 5 love letters in total which she addresses but hides away in a box and never posts to anyone. Her sneaky sister then sends them out to the 5 people who are addressed on them, making her life change completely from the shy girl she once was.
I enjoyed the film but in my opinion it could've been a little bit better if Josh received the letter after Peter. This would give the perfect opportunity for Josh, who is her sister's ex and her best friend, to come in-between her fake relationship with Peter, creating a potential love story. This twist would've made the story more exciting.
The film is directed by Susan Johnson, who is an American film producer and director who became famous in 2017 from the comedy film Carrie Pilby. Her role in most of the films she has taken part in was a producer.
The colours in the trailer are tinted with orange and blue which symbolise the strong love that the main character feels, but also her insecurities as she doesn't want to let it out to the world. The sections from the film used for the trailer have a lot of action to interest the viewer and influence them to watch it. From the trailer we can also gain a liking for the main character as she comes across as innocent and sweet.
The trailer focuses on Lana who is the main character as she is narrating it, expressing her emotions and filling us in on her life to make us want to know more.
On her first junior high day, the camera zooms in on Lana a lot to express her importance, also keeping her in centre frame so we see her facial expressions clearly. The camera moves along quite fast to show the surroundings, but then gradually goes in slow motion to show key details.
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The scene below reveals the secret feelings between Lana and Peter which couldn't be seen before, showing that it is no longer just a 'fake relationship', as more feelings are hidden beneath it. This is a key moment for the viewers as we finally get to see that long waited-for kiss that we were dying to see.
Lana enters the tub in her nightgown which expresses her insecurity which we can see throughout the film, instead of just taking her clothes off and revealing her body to Peter. This makes her an innocent, likeable character.
This scene is dark with a strong blue light coming from the hot tub which reflects depth and stability, but also trust. Blue is also considered beneficial to the mind and body, slowing down the human metabolism and producing a calming effect.
Lana moves towards Peter and into his personal space, hinting that a kiss could happen. The closeness between the two reflects Lana's need to be comforted and loved, also showing Peter's confidence and stability.
They both kiss slowly which states they are relaxed and feel happy in each other's presence. This only lasts a few moments with the camera zooming in on them to make us feel as if we are there and possibly even being one of the characters. From close we can see every facial expression which makes the film much more real to the viewers.
We later find out that in this scene someone was watching them and recording, which then gets tagged as a 'sex tape'. Anyhow we don't now about it at this point so we are just enjoying the scene, forgetting about everything else.
