Movie review: ‘Me Before You' manages to stay mostly upbeat
"Me Before You" is definitely not the sort of movie to recommend to the "Game of Thrones" crowd. Oh, the script has people keeping dark secrets from one another, and there's a generous share of emotional turmoil. But there's no political intrigue, no violence, and no large reptiles.
So why even bring up "Thrones" here? Simple: Two cast members have important roles in the film. Charles Dance AKA the cold-hearted Tywin Lannister plays the small but significant part of Stephen Traynor, the well-meaning but flummoxed father of Will Traynor (Sam Claflin), who has suffered a debilitating accident and needs home care.
But there's also "Thrones" star Emilia Clarke (Mother of Dragons) who stars here as Lou Clark, a down-on-her-luck, but jovial young woman who loses a thankless waitressing job, then takes a new one as caregiver to Will, a once-successful man about town who has suffered a spinal cord injury.
Clarke is unrecognizable here because she's not wearing her long blonde wig and because in contrast to her work on "Thrones," she plays such an absolutely joyful character, decked out in the cutest (and sometimes silly) outfits, and boasting a radiant smile and a great laugh. She's almost matched in unrecognizability by Claflin, who has hordes of fans due to his role as Finnick in the "Hunger Games" films.
But on to who these folks are in this one, not who they're not. Will is a guy who had it all, from money and good looks to suavity and a very active lifestyle. Now he's confined to a wheelchair, with no use of his legs, and limited use of arms and hands, in almost constant pain, prone to bursts of angry sarcasm and inner battles with self pity.
Lou takes the job — which consists of keeping him comfortable and trying to cheer him up — because she can't find any other one, and she needs the money. "I'm a fast learner and I'm never ill and I make a great cup of tea," she blurts out during her job interview, unable to contain her enthusiasm, even though she has no idea what she's getting into.
It's not long before the film, with a script by Jojo Moyes, from her own bestselling tearjerker of a novel, begins to explore the people around the two main characters. Lou's parents and siblings, some very nice people, are having a rough patch as far as money, making it even more important for her to get this job. She also has a boyfriend named Patrick (Matthew Lewis, Neville in the Harry Potter series), an athletic fellow who seems nice enough but is kind of a dummy who doesn't really appreciate Lou.
Will, in that wheelchair for two years, knows he's not going to get up from it, and there are hints that he has a suicide wish. His concerned parents (Dance and Janet McTeer) do all they can but are at wit's end. It's probably not a good idea for them to OK a visit by Will's ex-girlfriend (who is indirectly responsible for his accident) and his former best pal who are now an item, and who talk about marriage right in front of him.
Predictability makes its entrance, as it usually does in stories like this, when the patient and the caregiver, despite their differences — he's glum and often silent, she's a cheery chatterbox — start opening up to each other, begin to reveal what makes each of them tick, set about getting closer. Claflin does most of his performance with just his eyes and head; Clarke uses every bit of herself.
Thankfully, the story strays from that predictability by revealing harsh plans only known to Will and his parents but that are eventually discovered by Lou. In doing so, the film introduces a philosophical, ethical side of the issues it's presented. It all leads to a weepy, bittersweet, yet in many ways, happy conclusion. The only bothersome question at the end of it was, "What does the title mean?"
— Ed Symkus covers movies for More Content Now.
"Me Before You"
Written by Jojo Moyes; directed by Thea Sharrock
With Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin
Rated PG-13