Henry Page (Austin Abrams) is a high school senior in New Jersey. He is passionate about writing and has worked essentially his entire high school career to become editor in chief of the school paper. He finds beauty in what he and others write, and, as he dissects the words on the paper, emotion pours from the page and engross him like nothing else ever has. Like he explains, nothing exciting (other than his writing) has ever happened to him, leaving his life, in many ways, feeling bare and ultimately uneventful, that is until Grace Town (Lili Reinhart) moves nearby. The two teens share a bond that is inexplicable, even to them, leaving them both confused and in love with one another. Their Chemical Hearts and newly found relationship, whatever form that might take, will define who they are and who they will become.
There is something unique about writer-director Richard Tanne’s, and it reminds me so much of Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson. This approach attempts to bring the beauty of absolutely everything in the world to the forefront,, and it attempts to express emotion in its rawest form. Every word spoken and every word visible to the audience is important--not necessarily in the grand scheme of Chemical Hearts--but in life. Everything has a second, third, fourth meaning that transcends audiences, provides clarity (and in some cases confusion) and leads viewers down an inexplicably rocky and beautiful path. Viewers become enveloped in a world of both existential and obvious beauty that boggles the mind, and, better yet, informs and guides.
Henry comes from what many might consider to be the all-American family. He lives in a two parent household, they are proud of the grades he gets (regardless of what they might end up being) and they support his every move. Grace, on the other hand, comes from a fractured family that has no real shape. The juxtaposition of these characters is what causes them to collide, violently into one another. This vicious crash is what begins to define their relationship and ultimately drives Chemical Hearts. Like everything else in the film, this eruption of chemicals and emotions eventually makes its way to the forefront and exposes itself as something beautiful. Chemical Hearts finds ways to drag viewers to the deepest depths of despair and then hoist them, with great vigor, to nirvana-esque peaks. Do not expect to come out of this film unscathed. Expect that your heartstrings will be stretched to nearly irreparable lengths, your tear ducts will likely run dry and your capacity to understand the little things in life will be tested like never before. These things are expressions of beauty in Chemical Hearts, and it is important to remember that the pay off of social and emotional clarity is what makes everything worth suffering through.
Reinhart is best known for her integral role as Betty Cooper in the CW hit drama series Riverdale. The series, for those of you that are unfamiliar, depicts a series of high school students who find themselves in, for lack of a better term, loads of trouble. Expectations for the acting in Riverdale are not necessarily high (as is typical of teen dramas--which isn’t necessarily fair), even though it’s quite clear that many of these young actors possess talent in that field. As Reinhart transitions from teen drama television to what might be considered mainstream cinema (I think it’s fair to say that Amazon Prime originals are considered mainstream now) potential viewers may ask themselves “does she have what it takes to find success in this role?” The short answer to that is “yes.” Lili Reinhart expresses emotion so beautifully and fluidly that viewers might find it hard to believe that she hasn't received the praise she deserves up to this point. The emotional nature of Chemical Hearts brings out the best in Reinhart and allows her to showcase the raw talent she possesses.
Alongside Reinhart is the relatively unknown Abrams. Abrams is best known for his role on AMC’s The Walking Dead, even though his character’s stint is only a short nine episodes. He was much younger then, and his role was in support of a beloved ensemble cast. With viewers constantly enthralled by the magnetic characters that navigated the apocalyptic world of The Walking Dead, Abrams often found himself in the background, regardless of how essential his role in the series was. Abrams finds himself working with the established Reinhart and has standards to live up to. As she floods the screen with emotion and captivates viewers, one might expect Abrams to fall to the wayside, permitting Reinhart to shine even brighter. This is not the case. Abrams holds his own as he compares to the vigor that Reinhart possesses, but remains true to himself and proves that his talent is nothing to shake a stick at. Abrams, the lead in Chemical Hearts, rightfully earns this spot atop the credits and shows audiences that he occupies a talent unlike many other actors his age. He is simple and does not require the spotlight in order to shine, but his keen attention to detail in the most emotional scenes reflect an aptitude that compares to the likes of some of the greats.
Chemical Hearts appears, on the surface, to be another teen drama that reflects immature emotions that may fall on deaf ears. It looks like the typical Romeo & Juliet story that sees two teens falling for one another without ever truly understanding what love means. Just beneath the surface, Chemical Hearts presents itself as one of the greatest love stories of this generation. Grace and Henry express the sentiment of love in ways that most adults aren’t able to comprehend, let alone express in detail. Pieces pulled from Pablo Neruda’s One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII help to sculpt the love that exists between the two leads and creates a genuine connection to anyone who feels they have ever experienced this emotion. Led by Abrams and Reinhart, Chemical Hearts attacks the idea of love from angles never seen before, keeping the film fresh and fun. This film will both melt and break your heart; expect that you will be brought to tears and that your understanding of the world as you know it is just a fraction of what it has to offer.
Directed by Richard Tanne. Written by Richard Tanne & Krystal Sutherland. Starring Lili Reinhart, Austin Abrams, Sarah Jones, Adhir Kalyan, Kara Young, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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