Probably the best indie of last year, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl had both heart and creativity to spare. Ostensibly it followed the burgeoning friendship between the titular 'Me', Greg, as he makes friends with a girl from his school who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. Running through the background of the picture, though, was a great framing device which had Greg and his friend Earl creating swede-style home movies based on classic films, instead playing on a silly pun that changes the plot of the film considerably. Think 'Grumpy Cul de Sacs' instead of 'Mean Streets', or 'A Sockwork Orange' instead of 'A Clockwork Orange'. The beauty of the MAEATDG Blu-ray is that all of these inventive little shorts are yours to witness in their entirety, as opposed to within the film where we only see hilarious glimpses of them. The film itself is also a rare treat; uproariously funny and emotionally touching, I dare you not to cry in its penultimate scenes. It's one to own and let emotionally eviscerate you again and again.
Cinephile since 1993, aged 4, when he saw his very first film in the cinema - Jurassic Park - which is also evidence of damn fine parenting. World champion at Six Degrees of Separation. Lender of DVDs to cheap mates. Connoisseur of Marvel Comics and its Cinematic Universe.
