Friday, June 17, 2016

Review of ME BEFORE YOU: Dealing with Debilitation

June 16,2016




I am not a fan of romantic films, be it comedies or dramas. However, occasionally, given the impetus of novel casting, I will check them out. The premise of this film itself did not exactly appeal to me. However, the casting of Emilia Clarke in the female lead really intrigued me. I had only known her before as Daenerys Targaryen the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi in "Game of Thrones", and I am very curious to see her in another role. 

Will Traynor is a very wealthy businessman who became a paraplegic following a freak accident with a motorcycle. Trapped in a bed, a mechanized wheelchair and extreme depression, Will was already seriously considering to end it all. Enter the colorfully eccentric waitress Louisa Clark whom Will's mother hired to be his caregiver and companion. Will Lou's quirky infectious joie de vivre snap Will out from his perpetual negativity about his life?

It is not easy to describe Emilia Clarke's performance. It starts off so annoyingly chipper, as reflected by her ridiculous wardrobe of iridescent colors and flashy designs. However, as the film went along, we will find her irresistibly delightful. With her uninhibited performance, you can truly feel the innate goodness of her person, a selfless and sincere dedication to her responsibility. Her smashing scene wearing the red dress drew audible gasps from the audience when I watched.

Sam Claflin portrayed Will very well, capturing his steely determination as well as his dignity in the face of his incapacity. That he remained debonaire and dashing and well-built despite his condition was not realistic in the least, but hey, this is a romance film so we cut it some slack. The chemistry between Lou and Will was not instant. We witnessed it develop and it definitely was THERE.

The ensemble of British actors in this film worked very well together. Janet McTeer and Charles Dance (yes, Tywin Lannister of GoT!) play Will's supportive parents, Camilla and Steven Traynor. Australian actor Steve Peacocke had significant screen time as Nathan, Will's nursing aide. Brendan Coyle and Samantha Spiro play Lou's supportive parents, Bernard and Josie Clark. A very trim Matthew Lewis (a guy we once knew as chubby Nevill Longbottom in the Harry Potter films) plays Lou's clueless health buff boyfriend Patrick. 

If I had any problem with the film, it is with a certain sensitive pro-choice topic upon which the whole conflict of the story was built upon. I cannot claim to know how paraplegics feel about their lives, but I feel it should not be with this ethically-problematic philosophy, especially as the patient here was basking in the warmth of all the love of the people around him. Selfishness is a loaded word in this discussion. Who was being selfish in this case  -- the patient or his loved ones? 

Director Thea Sharrock (in her feature film debut) skirted around the touchy issue using quirky humor and sweet sentimentality to bring to life the script by Jojo Moyes, who also wrote the novel upon which this film was based. Sharrock was fortunate to have a very likeable cast of actors to mitigate the heaviness of the theme. Some opposing views about the issue actually spoken by characters in the film. Ultimately though, it may still send the wrong message to vulnerable audiences, and this bothered me. 7/10.


18 comments:

  1. I havent seen he movie but I know that a lot of paraplegics do become selfish because of negative thoughts and self pity. Good review...

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  2. This seems like a good movie. I'll share it with my patients. I work with a lot of patients who have disabilities. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. I watched this yesterday! I love everything about the movie except for that critical plot. I still believe in living until death says otherwise.

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  4. I've been in SM yesterday and watched this movie. The theme really good and besides I ate chicilate while watching.

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  5. If possible try to watch the Bollywood movie named Guzarish with Hrithik Roshan & Aishwarya Rai in the lead. Its almost same story of Euthanasia. May be you could compare the 2 films.

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    1. Thank you for this recommendation. I will seek this one out.

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  6. The cast also piques my interest. I'm not sure if I'd watch this in the big screen though because the story doesn't really strike me as a must-watch.

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  7. Very intriguing indeed, knowing that Emilia Clarke as Khaleesi in "Game of Thrones" has a new character in this movie. I'm going to watch it.

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  8. I thought Me Before You is a must-watch movie first of all because it stars Charles Dance. I'm a fan of the actor. The chemistry of the characters is great.

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  9. I heard that a lot of people enjoyed the movie except for the ending. I'd like to watch this one, it sounds like a great film!

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  10. Watched the movie yesterday and I love it- except for the ending. Btw, good review!

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  11. I think it's really a good movie of love and hope. I also like the ensemble of casts.

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  12. Though, I have not watched this movie. With this review, I think it is now a must movie for me. Thanks for sharing

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  13. I remember watching one bollywood movie which had very similar story line. I would prefer action and sci-fi vs romantic for hollywood movies.

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  14. I have been pestering my companions to watch this movie with me. Sadly, we don't have money anymore.

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  15. Agree! Try reading the book... I felt the book gave me mor einsight and made me understand more why Will decide to take his life!

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    1. I'm sure the book will explain his decision in more detail. Hope I can get to read it.

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  16. I watched it and love it so much. But I cant watch another time because I keep crying in the cinema and after that my eyes are so swollen. OMG... I will get the book soon because most of my friends said that the book is more details and best.

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