Review of Me Before You (2016) by Orlando O — 28 Sep 2016

Me Before You is a sweet emotionally moving romantic drama film with two amazing leads played by Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin. These types of movies involving a sensitive subject and a love story does equal into a tearjerker of an ending. I do find it rare for many films to actually have that emotional impact. Nicholas Sparks's movies fails to capture the emotionality with the characters and tends to make it an irritating cliché rather than a powerful moving story. Sure, other young adult novels like The Fault in Our Stars was able to capture the loving characters and turn the sensitive conflict against the audience, leaving it to be a sad movie. Now, Me Before You also plays the movie well, we are introduced to Will (Sam Claflin), a successful banker, who gets caught up in a motorcycle accident leaving him paralyzed. His parents tend to hire a caregiver to keep him company and try to change his mind about there is more in life that is worth living. They hire Lou (Emilia Clarke), a clumsy, awkward, and a chatty spunky personality that is needing a job to help her family with the bills. Lou tries to change Will's mind about being hopeless and worthless in life by going on trips, until feelings soon arise for them both.

Emilia Clarke is such an adorable stunning actress, and her playing an awkward, chatty character is amusing and sweet with her performance. Sam Claflin does well playing a high-class character, that was arrogant until the accident left him disabled and feeling hopeless. He goes through his daily routine of being cooped up in his room, listening to music, seeing his best friend and his former girlfriend getting married. Basically, life moving forward while he is stuck in the chair. Lou tries to change that with her high spirit personality, even if it's causing her to drift away from her unthoughtful, jogging obsessed boyfriend.

Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke's chemistry worked perfectly on screen. The film does have the predictability on knowing were the direction is heading. The two fall for each other, Lou and her boyfriend relationship drifts away, Will is conflicted with his health and his physical condition. The sensitive issue of euthanasia is discussed, which brings the persons choice to live in such a manner. Will's parents struggle to persuade his choice, while Lou does not take it likely as her feelings are very intimate. Yes, the ending can be tough to see without feeling sad. It works well and better than most of the romantic drama films out there.