The Romantic Comedy You’ve Been Waiting For: Me
Before You
Review by Timothy Austin
If you have already grown tired of 2016’s endless parade of
comic book adaptations and superheroes, ‘Me before you’ is the romantic comedy
that promises a breath of fresh air.
Based on the bestselling novel by English journalist and
author Jojo Moyes, the film
introduces us to perky Louisa Clark
who lands a job caring for the brooding Will
Traynor, who tragically becomes a paraplegic after a freak traffic
accident.
Still bitter after his life-changing accident, Will
immediately dislikes Louisa’s upbeat and overly positive attitude, in addition
to her ‘loud’ and colourful sense of style.
She must then battle to win his acceptance as her middle-class family
desperately needs the money.
However, the relationship takes a turn for the better when
Louisa’s endearing personality starts to grow on Will as he faces a life and
death decision. So can the movie live up
to the heightened expectations of fans of the book and is it worth your
hard-earned money? Here are three
reasons you will definitely want to run out now and see ‘Me Before You’:
Emilia Clarke is a
revelation
Best known as the ‘Mother
of Dragons’, Daenerys Targaryen, in the phenomenally successful HBO series,
‘Game of Thrones’, Emilia Clarke is
a far cry from the regal Queen in ‘Me Before You’. Clarke delivers a tour de force performance
as the often clumsy but charming Louisa.
Fans of Game of Thrones may not recognize the actress as she showcases
her acting range as a comedic character.
Clarke completely dominates the movie whether she’s dressing in
over-the-top outfits or accidently ripping her skirt in a job interview in one
of the film’s early sequences.
Clarke channels the great Lucille Ball as an attractive but
socially awkward heroine. You will have
a hard time taking your eyes off of her and she is definitely one of the main
reasons to see the film.
Chemistry is ripe
Clarke is aided admirably by Sam Clafin as Will Traynor. The actor is best known for his role as Finnick Odair in the Hunger Games
Movie Series. As Will, he starts off as
a brooding, bitter presence but is soon won over by Louisa’s effervescent
personality. The film succeeds simply
due to the amazing chemistry between Clarke and Clafin. In many scenes you will likely forget you are
looking at two actors as the pair seamlessly move from rivals to
soulmates. Fans of broad romance stories
in the line of ‘Love Story’ and the ‘Notebook’ will have much to enjoy here as
the two actors convincingly create a romance that we often dream of, but few
ever experience.
Avoids the
dreaded ROMCOM trap
If you are not a fan of romantic comedies, ‘Me Before You’ will most
likely win you over as it avoids most of the modern romantic comedy clichés. If the Meg Ryan and Sandra Bullock comedies
of the 90s and early 2000s left a bitter taste in your mouth, you will be
pleasantly surprised here. The film
instead admirably relies on the epic romantic devices of classic romances like
‘The Mirror has Two Faces’ and ‘The Way We Were’.
The supporting cast also adds a lot of luster to the film with familiar
faces from the British A-List of actors including Brendan Coyle as Louisa’s
father. Fans of ‘Downton Abbey’
will instantly recognize Coyle as the valet, Mr. Bates and Matthew Lewis
who you will most likely remember as Neville Longbottom from the Harry Potter
film franchise.
The story-line will not disappoint even the most pessimistic moviegoer as
the film soars from bubbly comedy to broad, epic romance. What is particularly interesting are the
scenes where Louisa falls in love with Will despite his physical challenges. Much acclaim must be given to actor Sam
Clafin for transforming a very difficult character into one of the most
heartfelt persons of 2016. The film does
have some dark revelations on which I will not expand to avoid ‘spoilers’, but
you will want to take a date to this one for emotional support. Indeed, few
films in recent memory have mastered comedy, romance and tragedy as eloquently
as ‘Me Before You’. It is this
generation’s ‘Love Story’.
If there is one romantic film to see this year, ‘Me Before
You’ is that film. From the eye-popping
cinematography which highlights the beauty of the English country-side to the
sweeping romantic music score by Craig Armstrong, the film is definitely one
for your ‘must-see list’.
Review by Timothy Austin
Follow me @tygaaustin
