“Love, Simon” is a surprisingly emotional, teenage coming-of-age story set around a closeted gay high school senior and the dramatic events leading up to his coming out.
Going into the theater, I was expecting just another half-funny, overacted romantic comedy, but while there were some clichéd moments, the film was surprisingly deep. It dealt with realistic characters and complex motivations and it tackled the subjects of sexuality and identity with remarkable grace.
The acting in “Love, Simon” was phenomenal. From excitement to anxiety to abject despair, Nick Robinson played the film’s lead, Simon Spier, very well. Simon’s friends, played by Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. all gave excellent supporting performances, as did Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Garner as Simon’s parents. There were a lot of emotions in “Love, Simon,” and a lot of dialogue. The cast handled both beautifully.
The plot was truly interesting and served as the perfect vehicle to showcase Simon’s coming of age and his own acceptance of his identity.
My only criticism is the film seemed to get a bit sidetracked at times. I felt that its 1 hour, 50 minutes runtime could have been condensed just a bit by removing some of the more unnecessary plot elements. A colorful song and dance number which takes place in Simon’s imagination was fun to watch, but ultimately added nothing to the film.
Superfluous elements aside, the rest of the plot was truly beautiful and the finale made me feel as though I was on top of the world.
Normally, I don’t pay much attention to set design, but the backgrounds of some scenes in this film were amazing. Simon’s bedroom was plastered with posters, and the attention to detail the designers must have put in is incredible. From a “Bob’s Burgers” poster by the door, to Panic! at the Disco memorabilia in the bathroom, Simon’s room felt real. And his wasn’t the only one. The houses of some of Simon’s friends had an equally realistic feel. I was truly impressed by the meticulous details of the background.
Thematically, the film was wonderful. It maintained a focus on identity and the struggles of finding oneself. It dealt with disputes among friends, morality and the lengths to which we will go for love.
It portrayed misunderstanding, confusion and the need to make mistakes. It highlighted family, change and regret. Most remarkably, it brought it all home and wrapped it up in a nice little narrative. The movie handled all these themes and came out on the other side without drowning under the weight of them all, a truly impressive feat for director Greg Berlanti.
And on top of it all, “Love, Simon” was funny. I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion, something I rarely do in the theater.
Overall, “Love, Simon” is a truly touching, beautiful and hilarious film. It got off track once or twice and could have been a little bit shorter, but compared to the magnificent plot, acting and thematic elements, those are very minor criticisms. The film is almost out of theaters, but I would absolutely recommend watching this movie at home.