Me Before You

This review may contain spoilers!

I mean sure it's sweet and charming but this film is bogged down by a weak supporting cast and a naive message. I would give Me Before You a 6/10.

This film is very charming if you're heading along to see a basic romance film, the story is fairly simple and moves along quite lightly. The portrayal of Will has it's problems which I will get into but there are some aspects of the film that depict quadriplegia rather well. The soundtrack to this film is brilliant, it fits the characters and also helps set the atmosphere for the more romantic scenes.

Sam Claflin, who played Will Traynor, does a great job with a poorly written character; Claflin manages to showcase the pain his character feels as well as the joy Lou brings him. Janet McTeer and Charles Dance, who played Camilla and Stephen Traynor respectively, do a good job as the distant parents managing the grief for their son in their own way; McTeer is very protective and almost frightened of her emotional response while Dance presents a more rational and supportive state of mind. Stephen Peacocke, who played Nathan, really fit into the nurse/caretaker role well; he was a fun and lively presence in the film.

However the best performance came from Emilia Clarke, who played Lou Clark. Clarke brings so much energy to this role that you are hooked onto her for the entirety of the film. I really enjoyed this quirky character that she played, she was funny and exceptionally charismatic. I think that this is a real indicator of the type of diverse roles we'll see Clarke in after Game Of Thrones.

This film has a ton of problems and if you want a simple romance these won't be issues for you. But the fact is this film argues that if you become disabled after being able-bodied then there's no shame in killing yourself. How hurtful is that message? I think it's ignorant to evaluate a disabled person as less than an able-bodied person and this film goes a bit beyond that. I also took issue with the mentally disabled joke that we get when Will and Lou first meet, there's a lot going on in this film that shows a lack of respect to disabled people. I think a film that is prepared to be about disability without respecting disabled people doesn't deserve much credit. The cinematography is mediocre, it's a rather weak visual style and doesn't try to stand out. The editing follows suit, the cuts being either long and drawn out or too rapid.

Vanessa Kirby and Ben Lloyd-Hughes, who played Alicia and Rupert respectively, gave exceptionally stiff performances in this film; it was hard to believe these characters were ever friends with Will. Samantha Spiro, who played Josie Clark, was a role that didn't lend much presence to the film; her character becomes rather shrewd and narrow-minded by the end of the film which makes her dislikeable. Brendan Coyle, who played Bernard Clark, had a subplot of needing a job that became quite forgettable; his role was filled with rather generic advice scenes. Jenna Coleman, who played Katrina 'Treena' Clark, was a rather plain character; her chemistry with Clarke was awful and they didn't feel like sisters at all. Alan Breck, who played Grandad, never got the opportunity to make his mark as a character in this film; he more felt like part of the family background. Matthew Lewis, who played Patrick, didn't feel like a very real character at all; I suppose he was supposed to be some kind of comedic character but he just felt really forced and obnoxious.