I felt inspired to write this after seeing a harsher review of the same movie. I'm writing this the same day as the other review. That being said, I think this movie is well worth your time.
The main plot is the connection between two characters who are both freshmen at the beginning of the film. The main character goes by a philosophy where he limits his connections with people to limit the pain he causes, but a particular girl catches his interest and they soon become much, much closer.
To review aspects of my personal experience, here goes. The chemistry between the lead actors makes this an enjoyable film to watch. Although the two don't exactly spend the runtime together consistently, it's easy to care about the state of their relationship and its ups and downs. The premise of attempting becoming the person you want to be and the positives of idealism are equally engaging as they are thought-provoking.
To finalize this, my only criticisms would be that the directing is average and the acting is admittedly not the BEST. I write that in all caps to try to elaborate that the acting is not bad at all, it just isn't Joaquin Phoenix tier. The acting is still above average, but that's worth mentioning since the film has other aspects that are stronger.
