Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Movie Review

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)

Rent Me and Earl and the Dying Girl on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link) 
Written by: Jesse Andrews (novel, screenplay)
Directed by: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Starring: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke 
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
Greg strives to remain invisible while making short films with his friend Earl. That changes when his mom forces him to hang out with a classmate who has cancer.

Verdict
It's a quirky movie, full of charm. The dialog is quick and fairly sharp, too sharp to actually be high school, but the sentiment of this movie propels it forward. It tries, and succeeds, to subvert the romance that seems inevitable. Greg tries to be invisible without tying himself to any one high school clique, but his life changes when his forces him to hang out with a classmate diagnosed with cancer. He allows somebody to see him, and he realizes what's he's been missing by shutting everyone out. It's not without pain, but that's part of living.
Watch it.

Review
It's quirky from the start with Greg (Thomas Mann) breaking the fourth wall and introducing the story he's presenting. His intro includes a claymation sequence that reappears throughout the film.
Greg is afraid that people won't like him. By avoiding everyone they won't get a chance to discover that. He interacts with all the cliques just enough to be on friendly terms.

Despite his protests, his mom makes him do something nice and hang out with Rachel (Olivia Cooke) who has been diagnosed with leukemia. He awkwardly jokes with her and they become friends, though tension remains high due to Rachel's cancer which leads to arguments that Greg only befriended her because his mom forced him.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl - Quirky and engaging.

Greg's best friend is Earl (RJ Cyler). While Earl is a flat character, the actor's deadpan delivery and manner makes the character much more than what's on paper. Greg and Earl make parodies of classic movies. Their films include My Dinner with Andre the Giant and Senior Citizen Kane.
Greg shows Rachel the movies he and Earl have made, and then they make a movie for Rachel. Despite the months spent on it, he can't get it right.

Rachel pushed him to apply for college despite his objections that it would be similar to high school,  but his concern for her and work on her movie puts his acceptance in jeopardy.
The movie pulls a trick at the end, and while it's a cheat, the movie implements it well. It leads me to  question whether this is a story told after the fact or in real time. I initially assumed it was a recounting.