TIFF 2024 Review “Young Werther”
A modern day adaptation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s ‘The Sorrows of a Young Werther’, Jose Lourenço’s rendition does well in painting a charming portrait of tragedy with every pastel and colour reminiscent of the human experience—love, loss, hope, whimsy, lust, freedom—all while encompassing both the complexities and simplicities of human connection.
Young Werther is beautiful mania; its poetic impressionism seems to explore every emotion and moment of unrequited love all at once. With dialogue dripping in prose and rhythms of near Shakespearean variety, this charming love story captures the heartbreaking magic of that first night between lovers and the reality that arrives when the sun rises the next morning.
The film follows Douglas Booth as Werther, an exceptionally privileged young writer who often finds himself in search of life’s next great adventure. While stopping briefly in Toronto to retrieve a statue to settle an old battle of wills between his aunt and his mother, a chance meeting during an impulsive visit to an ice cream shop brings Werther face to face with his next adventure—or endeavour.
Werther’s latest spark comes in the form of Alison Pill’s Charlotte, a beautiful introverted woman who likes to read and once carried that childish whimsey before the strains of adulthood snuffed it out of her. She’s become the main caretaker of her numerous siblings since the death of her parents, has forgotten the magic of life and seems reluctant to let Werther remind her of it. And yet, Werther persists nobly. He’s charismatic and charming and everything she didn’t know she needed to make her feel alive again. Day after day, night after night, adventure after adventure, we learn that Werther can’t help but fall for her… mostly because of their rare connection but also because of the challenge courting her poses. Did we forget to mention that Charlotte’s engaged?
The film plays as a cheeky dramedy that juggles deeper themes reminiscent of Linklater’s Before trilogy and does well in coaxing audiences to root for Werther despite his clear ambition to come between a man and his fiancée. We find ourselves in Werther’s shoes, feeling everything he feels, and soon enough we can’t help but hope for a happy ending even if we know there isn’t one coming.
The movie dons an impressive supporting cast comprised of Patrick J. Adams as Charlotte’s perfectly likeable fiancé Albert, Iris Apatow as Charlotte’s wide-eyed teenage sister Sissy, Amrit Kaur as Charlotte’s best friend Melanie and Jaouhar Ben Ayed as Werther’s hypochondriac best friend and (rather reluctant) travel buddy. After sweeping her way through TIFF in 2023 with Fawzia Mirza’s The Queen of My Dreams, Kaur reminds audiences why she’s a certified scene stealer and a nuanced comedian. She claims every minute of the runtime she’s featured in and does well in mirroring our perspective on Werther’s pursuit of Charlotte throughout the film.
Despite the eloquence this film takes with its pace, the third act finds itself dragging its feet long enough to noticeably depart from the film’s sense of magic. This causes the crisp hundred minute runtime to end up feeling like a hundred and twenty. High praise is deserved for its production design and colour grading, a powerful combination that brings character and wonder to the streets of Toronto us natives might have forgotten! This is the magic of Werther and the influence he has on our perspective of the city, of love and of life itself. This film is deeply funny and endearing. Booth’s Werther is impossible to peel your eyes from. Audiences won’t be able to help themselves as they champion him over every hurdle that falls comically in his path. Every character strikes a personal chord within each of us and the film ends precisely how it should—which is a rare quality in movies of late.
In terms of its commitment to the original source material, it’s clear Lourenço was dutiful with this adaptation and accurately captured the highs and lows of every writer’s adult life, the passion in which they feel things and topped it off with a bittersweet ending that teaches audiences a very valuable lesson. Young Werther is a must see and a heavy contender for this year’s People’s Choice Award.
Young Werther had its World Premier at the Toronto Film Festival on Monday, Sept 9th, 2024
[Review by Jurgen Sosa]