Review of Me Before You (2016) by Jamie P — 16 Jun 2016

Remember last year when I went out of my comfort zone and went and saw Fifty Shades of Grey? God I wish I didn't, Well took a gamble and saw something that wouldn't usually show up in my list of my movies I must see.

Few weeks ago on Facebook, Emilia Clarke starting showing up all over the place, obviously promoting this, then the trailers started to appear. Clicked on one and thought, "I'll see that!" Getting closer, a week ago we went and saw TMNT 2, after it I found the book and read it, In Five Days I had finished it front to back and loved it! I haven't read a book in twelves years or more and usually when I do it takes months! FIVE DAYS! Going in I thought ok this will be either great or they will blunder......You can't screw it up? Can you?

Louisa Clark, (Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones) loses the only job she has ever had. With no other job skills her family and boy friend (Sister play by Jenna Coleman, Doctor Who and boyfriend Mathew Lewis, Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter!) Convince her to go and look for a suitable job. Not interested in other jobs a Career position becomes availble looking after a Rich young man who is paralyzed from the chest down, William Traynor (Sam Clafin, Hunger Games), few months into her new role, Louisa comes across a plan that Will has set in motion to end his life and spends the next few months trying to stop him by enjoying life.

At first the relationship between carer and patient is rocky but over the course of the film it begins to turn into something more.

The chemistry works well! Emilia is charming to watch, just the way her character acts and is during the film. HUGE kodus to the casting people for casting Stephen Peacock (Brax, Home and Away) in fact everyone was well cast!

BUT, having read the Book I do have a problem with the film. The over all emotional depth is not as great at it is the novel. Example, there is a really important moment in the film and novel, where done right with that depth has a truly emotional reaction. I got that reaction with the book, (yes I wept, that is how good it was) I didn't with the film though. They cut out so much from the film that although still being sad doesn't resonate with me as much as the book did. The scene with the Red Dress and the concert has been altered and I didn't appreicate it as much the novel and I think it changed the characters a bit to much. In the book It is Will's friend who invites him to come and see him preform. In the Film it's Louisa idea. The books version shows how much he is changing by wanting to go out and have her with him. The film displays that he doesn't really want to go.

Longbottom's character (I am referring to him as that) I thought all the way through the book was a Douche-bag, always talking about his triathlon and basically overlooking his girlfriend to the point you can't help but hope that their relationship ends soon! He has this moment after he and her have split where he tells the media about this "decision" which results in the Clark home constantly being terrorized by reporters trying to get "her" side of the story. The reveal on how they could find out who had told them left myself wanting to insert a brick into his head. The movie, could of cut him out completely and it wouldn't of effected anything at all. Don't get me wrong he is still a Douche, but the relationship is just kind of there and then is swept aside like it didn't happen.

Now there is a bit of black lash from the disabled community, sighting how the movie ultimately, I'm struggling to find the right way to phrase it, but basically says it is ok to die by choice. I won't go into it here, I think people are smart enough to know it only be a small percentage of people who think this way and most go on and live normal as possible lives after ward. All I'll say is ultimately if that is how the person feels than it, even though I think it is wrong, it is other peoples duty to honor the request no matter how hard it is. The pain and suffering must be so unbearable that they just don't want to go on. People who are boycotting the film, should look into reading the book.

BUT I enjoyed it still, first time in ages I have actually being able to compare a book to film adaption. And alot of the scenes and dialogue are pretty much word for word the same. Scenery is fantastic, well shot! Cast again thumbs up, The soundtrack (Yes I have it) is great! Most songs featured in the trailers and to finish up with it is good to see a love story that has an actual story to it!

My rating system of books obviously doesn't exist having not any in a long time but the book gets FOUR STARS. The films gets three it would and could of being four to if it had the depth! but like previous years MY SURPRISE FILM OF 2016!

GO SEE IT IF YOU CAN, if you want to read the book first then I highly recommend that you do!