The cello is my favorite musical instrument. One of my favorite movies of all time is the Japanese Oscar Best Foreign Language film winner "Departures" and a cello played a prominent part in that one. "If I Stay" is another film in which a cello takes center stage, and I would not miss it even for that reason alone.
"If I Stay" is a dramatic film about a shy cello-playing teenager named Mia Hall. She has cool supportive parents, who were once in the punk scene. Her boyfriend Adam is the front man of an up-and-coming rock band. Everything seemed to be going swimmingly with her. She is awaiting for her acceptance letter from the Julliard School. Then one beautiful winter day, a tragic car accident happens.
I was looking forward to good cello music, and it did not disappoint. Those music in those scenes showing Mia auditioning for Julliard were breathtaking. As it turns out though, the cello music is not the only thing good about this film.
This film is a tearjerker of the highest order. The script was written in very emotional language by Shauna Cross based on a best-selling novel by Gayle Forman. Thankfully, the cast, though mostly unknown except for the lead actress, does very well in bringing this script to life.
Chloe Grace Moretz is really a phenomenal young actress. She gained attention as the ultra-violent It Girl, the best part of the "Kick Ass" films. Now a little more grown-up as Mia, Moretz provides this role the grace and elegance. A lesser actress may have made those death scenes mawkish and those romance scenes cheesy. Those cello-playing scenes were killer scenes.
Jamie Blackley was fine as Mia's boyfriend Adam. He seemed uncomfortable at times, and his chemistry with Moretz was not entirely convincing. I like the actors who played Mia's parents Denny and Kat better, Joshua Leonard and Mireille Enos. That New Year's Day scene where Kat was drying the dishes while Mia washed was especially well-written and well- acted out.
I had seen Liana Liberato in her devastating film debut as a victim of child rape in "Truth." She also did well her as Mia's loyal friend Kim. I think this is the first time I have seen perennial bad guy Stacy Keach in a role that made him so emotionally raw as Mia's grandfather.
The storytelling, with its weaving in and out of past and present events, was very well-edited. However, the pace taken by Director RJ Custer can feel very slow and repetitive at certain times in the middle, which made me look at my watch a few times. Overall though, it was effective in its intention as a tear-jerking romance. Your handkerchief or tissue paper will definitely get wet with this film with its many touching scenes.
