Weekly Review -- A collection of what ifs

Before I Fall (2017) -- How much time do we have in this world? No one knows. Anything can happen at any moment and nothing is ever set in stone, so we had better live this life to the fullest. Based on Lauren Oliver's novel, Before I Fall takes this idea and twirls it into a lyrical, thoughtful story, one that makes the viewer rethink their choices and contemplate how their present will spiral into their tomorrow. 
  
**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS**

When Samantha Kingston's (Zoey Deutch) life ends on what started as a perfectly ordinary day, she wakes up again the next day... only to relive yesterday. No matter what she does differently, awful things keep occurring and a piece of the puzzle is missing. Baffled, stuck in a loop and unable to share her predicament with anyone, Samantha needs to figure out what is happening and change the course of the day...

The film's view of the eternal 'what if' question is unique. Using Samantha's reflections and decisions, Before I Fall ponders themes of high school isolation, family, the human desire to love and be loved. Think of it as Run Lola Run without the kinetics. Do we love enough? Do we open ourselves enough? Do we listen -- actually listen? We rarely stop and think about our actions during any given day, but Samantha finds herself needing to do precisely that for the sake of herself and for the sake of the people around her. We go through our existence much too fast to realize that everything we do ripples not only throughout our realm, but throughout the wider world as well. We do not need a second chance. We need to make the first one count.   

The story also beams through the surface of the teenage characters' careless words and reckless actions in order to examine them as human beings. Not one of the characters is perfect, just like no one in life ever is, and Maria Maggenti's (Puccini for Beginners) screenplay delves into their background to see what exactly made them behave the way that they do. The film's subtle yet sharp look at high school hierarchy is one of its strongest aspects. Who knows what the lonely girl is thinking? Who knows why that boy keeps to himself? Who can tell what kind of consequences taunts can have? The film clearly concludes that the brutal structure of this environment does not do anyone any favors. If not for social conventions -- who made these rules, anyway? -- and the established order that these children have been conditioned to follow, friendships would not be limited to cliques. In a sense, it is these popularity laws that lead to the story's tragedies. The script wins by projecting an uncompromising anti-bullying stance, an approach that should be more frequent in teen-oriented works.   

The cast is good. Deutch, who was so charismatic in Vampire Academy, is an effervescent presence. She has a natural appeal, always making the audience sympathize with her plight. Elena Kampouris and Liv Hewson are standouts as students bullied for daring to be individuals, while Halston Sage explores a mean girl's vulnerability and creates a three-dimensional human being in the process.

Before I Fall teaches us numerous lessons and offers a lot for the viewer to think about after it ends. Be kind. Care for people. Get to know them. Dance and sing and enjoy every moment. Do not throw words around without thinking. Do not ignore, torment or leave things unsaid. Do not waste time. 

Because a tomorrow is never a guarantee.

8/10