‘FIVE FEET’
Richardson can do just about anything, and her performance demonstrates a new depth to her range. She brings a knowing soulfulness to every aspect of Stella’s journey, from her grief and rage to the way she reluctantly lets herself fall for Will.
Sprouse, as well as Moises Arias, who plays her best friend, Poe, another patient, rise to her level. It’s especially satisfying to watch Sprouse transform from a snarky, toocool-for-school CF patient to a young man who finally has hope and some skin in the game, if not for himself, then for her.
Baldoni, best known as an actor, makes his feature directorial debut with “Five Feet Apart,” and it’s incredibly assured, deeply effective filmmaking. Set entirely in a hospital, he captures the sense of place — the culture, the people, the geography — of the environment, and it never feels claustrophobic or stifling. Baldoni brings a rhythm to these drab, fluorescent-lit hallways, with pop songs driving the pace.
The 5-feet-apart rule (Stella “steals” a foot back) creates an inherently potent tension on screen, where something as simple as extending a hand might cause the audience to instinctively flinch. A scene at the hospital pool where Will and Stella have their first date is electric with energy, as the young lovers yearn for each other, the length of a pool cue keeping them at an achingly safe distance.
The poignant message of “Five Feet Apart” is never far as these characters attempt to experience all life has to offer while struggling to survive. Will loves to say, “It’s just life, it’ll be over before you know it.” While he delivers it with cynicism, it becomes a mantra that takes on new meaning every time it’s uttered. It’s life, and it will be over before we know it — why waste a second?
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