Smart, caustic, funny, this love story will bring you to tears…Take along some tissues and prepare to be manipulated.

Watch The Fault In Our Stars for Shailene Woodley…Based on the young adult novel of the same name by John Green, this tale of first love isn’t such a many splendoured thing.

While the film does get manipulative in places and is practically begging you to bubble, mostly it is infused with warmth, humour and acerbic comments. Scriptwriters do a commendable job in keeping the film funny and engaging and ensuring that the pathos don’t overpower us.

Even then, carry your kerchiefs. But rest assured, you will come out of the theatre smiling.

The fault in The Fault in Our Stars is that it is so obsessed with bringing tears to your eyes that it forgets to bring substance to the table.

If you like feel-good, escapist films, this one’s not for you. The Fault in Our Stars is one of the most unpretentious tragic love stories told in a heart-warming manner. ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened’ pretty much sums up the story.

You don’t need to read the book prior to watching the film, though I did end up reading it after seeing the film, and I suggest you do the same.

…lacks the directorial vision that would have translated the sweet, geeky charm of the book. The lines that read smoothly sound clumsy when spoken. The fault doesn’t lie in the words. The most un-normal of dialogues and conversations can become magical, but it takes a talented director and a superb cast to make the weird wonderful. Unfortunately, The Fault in Our Stars isn’t so lucky.

Overall, the film tugs at your emotional chord making you laugh and cry at the same time. But what makes the film memorable is that the characters linger in your mental orbit much after you leave the auditorium, making it a fine example of a good cinematic experience.

The movie is an attempt at making a teenage relevant story come to life on the screen. In the end, it is an attempt. If you are fan of the book, you might enjoy the film or you might hate it. You can even compile a list of errors or discrepancies between the book and the film. You will enjoy seeing Willem Dafoe but he just doesn’t get enough screen time. All in all, either you will cry till your eyes turn bloodshot or you will roll your eyes till you strain them.

This adaptation of John Green’s bestselling 2012 young adult novel about a teenage girl in love and living with cancer is far from the shameless emotional pummelling it might have been. It finds its own understated way to earn tears, and that’s a tricky thing to pull off given the material.