203. Five Feet Apart; movie review

FIVE FEET APART
Cert 12A
116 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate sex references, upsetting scenes, infrequent strong language

If I weren't trying to watch every movie released at UK cinemas, would I spend time on pictures such as Five Feet Apart?
No. I find the hopelessness of young people facing ghastly illnesses such as those portrayed in Justin Baldoni's film too difficult to bear.
This is particularly poignant because a vibrant 26-year-old who is very close to our family has been recently diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia.
That said, I understand that Five Feet Apart is considered cathartic by those who are in the position of its main characters
At its heart is cystic fibrosis, a life-limiting condition which attacks the lungs and sufferers have admired the film's accuracy in reflecting what it is like to live with it.
There is no doubt that Haley Lu Richardson gives her best shot as Stella, a hospital patient who tries to eke normality out of a life restricted by hospital rules.

One of these means she cannot go within six feet of fellow CF sufferers because of the risk of bacterial infection which could kill her.
This becomes central to the movie because she falls in love with another patient (Cole Sprouse).
In her eyes the later is the personification of cool and prompts her to break myriad boundaries, either imposed by herself or the hospital.
Would this be possible in real life? Indeed, would hospital staff allow such leeway? Only those who have been long-term patients would really know.
Mrs W doubted its credibility in its latter stages and, in any case, found it too schmaltzy for our taste.
I suspect younger people, particularly teenage girls, may think differently.

Reasons to watch: Apparently is a realistic portrayal of life with cystic fibrosis
Reasons to avoid: Its romance beggars belief

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? More than 30,000 people are living with cystic fibrosis (more than 70,000 worldwide). Approximately 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed each year. More than 75 per cent of people with CF are diagnosed by the age of two.

The final word. Cole Sprouse: "When I met with Justin [Baldoni] I realised that he was well-versed in the nature of cystic fibrosis enough that the passion was in place for him to really take care of it and not do a disservice to the CF community with the finished product, which was one of my biggest concerns." 

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