Movie review: Me Before You
Cecillia Fountain
Directed by Thea Sharrock
Written by Jojo Moyes

“Me Before You”, a 2016 romcom that had me crying by the end of it. This is a sad but romantic story that follows a quirky, loving girl named Louisa Clark that desperately needs a job to help support her family. With not many qualifications, she lands a job working for Will Turner, a man who had lost the will to live because of a motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

Universally, the reviews have been very split. On one hand, people are arguing that it is a hateful stereotype to have a plot line that makes a disabled partner look like a burden. On the other hand, people say you should look past that and see it for what it is, a touching romance. But one thing they both agree on is that the actors did an amazing job. Both say that Emilia Clarke, and Sam Claflin (the actor who plays Clark and Turner) fit the role to a tee. They give the character life and entrap you in the film. Though I didn’t read the book, from what I’ve heard and read, the movie does do it justice. This is often something that rather few adaptations can do.

I think that overall, this was a good movie for what it is. A romantic tragedy. Critics who address a negative stereotype obviously don’t understand what the movie is trying to convey. The main idea is to show that you can’t change who people are, but if you truly love someone, you can find a way to persist and make both of you happy.

I especially like the ending. I feel it’s different from the usual romcom ending. Instead of them just living happily ever after in an unrealistic world, the story conveys a sad ending and/or events, such as Turner ending his life. It seems more realistic than what would actually happen. And I was rather shocked when it did because it doesn’t typically end up that way.

Furthermore, the death of Turner gives new life to Clark and gives her a reason to move past the small town that she’s been living in. I think it’s a good metaphor. The idea that she’s trapped in a small town represents how she feels stuck. Then, at the end, when she finally goes and travels the world, you understand that she is leaving this bubble she created and is opening herself up to new experiences.

So if you have a few hours to spare and need a good cry, I recommend watching “Me Before You.”

Sources:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2674426/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_sm_2#writer
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/me_before_you/reviews
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/me-before-you-2016