AFTER (2019)

Alright let me put it this way. I will not talk about the origins of this story nor about my opinions of some of the aspects of the books. I will treat this film as is. I’ll review it on its own as much as I can. It will make for a more well-rounded honest review about the film. Without putting in opinions about things that didn’t even make it into the film. That being said I don’t agree with it all, but it wasn’t all bad.

What is the movie about?
A young woman (Tessa for reverence) falls for a guy (Hardin) with a dark secret and the two embark on a rocky relationship. Based on a novel by Anna Todd.

What did I think?
I fully expected not to like it very much and to write a fifty-shades like article. Which is still one of my favourites to date. Back to this film; It wasn’t half bad. Without spoiling the lot. Was it the best movie/story ever made? No most definitely not. But was it the most terrible damaging thing I have ever seen? No not that one either. A lot was changed. But without spoiling it was alright, it wasn’t as bad as I thought but it also wasn’t as amazing as it could have been.

Spoiler alert
A lot of fighting was cut out therefor you see why they like each other. Hardin is less difficult, less angry. You understand why they fall in love for the most part. Oh, I also thought I would despise the Hardin character the most. Het turned out to be my favourite character.

And that hasn’t anything to do with the fact that the actor is good looking (promise).

He looks quite young but we are about the same age, I looked it up. Moving on… The bet changed, it was much better now. Hardin wasn’t such a d*ck in this version. Tessa’s mum was so much better, she was kind and caring. Noah wasn’t what I envisioned what so ever. Thessa didn’t cheat as much. I love Tristan, I love what they did with that character (go watch and see). The girl that played Steph was really pretty. They changed the parts around a lot some people are put together in another character but that doesn’t change anything about the story.

BY THE WAY. Why on earth did Thessa look really cute most of the time?

Honestly, I have worn/ would wear most of her outfits, does that make me a boring girl as well? It’s a film so a ton is kicked out in the beginning I found it going very fast which isn’t weird if you cut out all the fighting and all the inner monologue. It felt fast paced at the start but I guess that is first love isn’t it? You fall in love hard, with all you’ve got. Other things are a bit slower a bit better like they do not own the apartment (I AM SO FOR THIS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA). They just live there, still weird but better. The loss of the virginity was later in the story but in the overall length of the in roughly the same spot. I loved how most was filmed. Especially the ‘sexy’ scenes it was very much a feeling it gave you without basically showing. Now that didn’t always make sense. Like the cover up scene where she was wearing her top. They could have done that line in another part of the film, still not show anything but have it made more sense.

“Don’t cover up for me”. Well darling she is, isn’t she with wearing a shirt and all that.

Oh, I loved to see Anna Todd in one of the scenes. I always love when that is done. So, the film on its own is very enjoyable and very lovely. The ending was a bit strange because even if the work is about one of your students it never is freaking alright to give someone’s work to another student. I don’t think Hardin cared but I would be livid.

Besides terrible paper man. English lit major, I don’t know what University he attends but he would have gotten an F in mine.

The ending was very open which is probably because if they can they would make a second movie. I don’t hate it, it was good. Nothing worn with it. To summarise the ending without giving it all away Hardin in this one was overall less awful. I might forgive him, so we all know Tessa will.

Changes for no reason at all
– Tessa has a bike (I am all for this, love the bike as well)
– Noah sleeps in the room (makes more sense)
– Tessa’s major. I think they tried to put it as if she is coming into her own with Hardin but it’s unnecessary.
– The dynamic between Noah and Tessa actually made total sense in the film.
– No nightmares (or other easily picked up ptsd symptoms)
Our boy Hardin wears shirts with text, or she does (I even saw a yellow one) but they’re his. It’s weird but it does show time and if you haven’t read the books you wouldn’t notice.
-All of them have less tattoos then in the books which at first (when I saw the trailer) I didn’t understand BUT it’s better. You can tell they are fake anyway.
Tessa doesn’t call her mum mother in this one.
Oh, and they attend a different university, #funfact or?

Controversial, I know
I know what I said, I would put it aside but I cannot. Without the success of the book this would have never been an international film. The books wouldn’t be as successful if they didn’t start out as a fanfic. There I said it. You might think I am a bitter angry person. But I feel it’s not great for young woman to think that a boy treating them like utter garbage most of the time is in any way shape or form “couple goals”. That being said I think Anna Todd made a could be beautiful story, I think that this one, the one in the film is the story she wanted to tell. It’s not the one of the books but it’s much much better.

Trailer
If the video doesn’t work, click here.

Last but not least
Before anyone comes for me, I read the books the originals and the new version (alright I listened to those) both at least twice (I do my research) and I just saw the film. I know the story, very well. The problems that I have with it today aren’t the once I picked up on when I first read it when it came out (I would have been 15/16 something like that). It’s not bad at all, it’s not the worst thing in the world. It’s not terrible nor should it be pulled away from the light. I just want people to know that good looking mean boys with anger problems aren’t everything. Tessa deserved better than book Hardin, she really did and he needed help from a professional. That being said, it’s not awful just don’t forget your mind when you read a book.

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Lots of love,
Melissa