Warning: spoilers ahead
After reading Jojo Moyes’ book Me Before You, I had high expectations. I immediately fell in love with the characters and the storyline, so to say I was excited to see the movie was an understatement.
If you haven’t heard about it before, Me Before You is about young and quirky Louisa Clark (played by Emilia Clarke), who gets a job as a caregiver for Will Traynor (played by Sam Claflin), a wealthy young banker left paralyzed from an accident two years earlier. Will’s negative outlook starts to change when Louisa shows him that life is worth living.
I think Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin did an incredible job with their characters. At the beginning of the film, Sam could have done a better job of portraying a quadriplegic though. However, the rest of the movie was done very well. Even though they never say they love each other, the chemistry was off the charts between the two actors, so “I love you” wasn’t really necessary. I think Sam did a great job with being rude in the first half of the film. Even though I love Sam Claflin as an actor, he did such a great job with being an ass that you started to hate him.
The scene where Louisa shaves Will’s beard off was really the turning point. The two characters changed from then on. Louisa started caring about Will more, and the way Will started looked at Louisa was just beautiful. I really do think the other reviews I’ve read online have been very harsh on both of their performances.
The movie did feel quite rushed though, unlike the book where it obviously went into a lot more detail. I understand it’s a movie and there are time restrictions but I feel they left out some important details. Two that I noticed were the fact that Louisa asked Will to the orchestra, not the other way around, and their first kiss in the movie wasn’t when it happened in the book. I may just be very picky but I thought they were important details to point out. There was also some great dialogue in the film, but great lines were left out as well.
I love Louisa Clark’s positive attitude and bubble energy, and Emilia did a great job. I felt like laughing every time she walked in with another ridiculous outfit. You instantly fall in love with that personality.
The relationship Louisa has with her sister is beautiful. The great thing about this movie is they include all types of different relationships, and I think they all teach us something. I know I walked out of the cinema with a new perspective on relationships, especially family. I don’t have a sister, but I feel I would have given her a big hug if I did have one.
My favourite scene from this movie was when Will gives Louisa a set of bumblebee tights for her birthday. Her excitement when she unwrapped the present was priceless. You couldn’t help but have a smile on your face. It was such a fun and hilarious scene. I could watch it over and over again. It would definitely make you happy if you were in a bad mood.
In conclusion, Me Before You is another outstanding love story, and it really makes you appreciate the little things in life. However, I would have done it differently if I directed it.
If you want to appreciate the film more for what it is, I highly recommend doing the opposite of what I did. Watch the movie before reading the book!
Positives:
- Great chemistry between Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin
- Really makes you appreciate the little things in life
- Sam’s cute smile!
Negatives:
- Storyline felt rushed
- Missed a lot of parts from the book
Rating: 7.5/10
What were your thoughts on this movie? Let us know by commenting below.
– Written by Lauren Yeates
