Me Before You, the eagerly anticipated adaption of Jojo Moyes's bestseller, is a film I've been following for a while and I was so excited to watch its transition from page to screen. It's a textbook weepy film* - that's no secret - but it's a sob story with a sentimental force, and love story, behind it. Previously a success-driven, adventuring and free-spirited banker with a reckless glamorous lifestyle and leggy blonde girlfriends, Will's (Sam Claflin) life is changed forever by a motorcycle accident leaving him paralysed and cynical. Then Lou (Emilia Clarke) comes along, a small-town girl who's never really adventured further out or even wanted to, and takes on the challenging role as Will's carer/companion. The promo's main picture basically tells you it's a boy-meets-girl film (so yes you can guess what happens next), but there's more depth and dare to it.

It's a quaintly British film, the feature film debut from director Thea Sharrock, offering some stunning castle views (filmed in Pembroke, Wales) and little Brit quips of humour. It's the sarcasm and wit that starts to bring Will out of his broken shell and bond with Lou, and it's here we get to witness something quite beautiful. I wouldn't exact call it a 'rom-com', although it is romantic and has its comedic moments. It's full of drama (both moments of overstated and subtle), and *spoiler alert* it's not afraid to deal with the issues of death and assisted dying. That said, these are complicated issues that are present, though not always explored as deeply as it could perhaps do. The juxtaposition between the little village and Will's previous big world adventures are supposed to shock us, but I think there's room to go a bit further here too.


Emilia Clarke's portrayal of Lou seems a little stage school and exaggerated at times, understandable due to the kooky penned character, but it's too much when you begin to notice it every scene. On a side note, it may be that Sharrock's experience as a theatre director has had an influence. Clarke also has unbelievably impressively fluid eyebrows (you'll see, but it's distracting). Lou's meant to be the relatable, realistic girl next door though; she's one of us. She's the girl who is destined for more but is happy in her small town bubble. Sound familiar? Despite my issues with the over-acting, she's endearing and it does hammer home the emotions as she wears her heart on her sleeve. Speaking of wearing, Lou's wardrobe is unashamedly awesome. (Faux) fur coats, brightly coloured tights...she rocks a lot of 50s style dresses and also all the fuss over that red dress is making me wish I had one of my own, too. I'm pretty sure Amazon searches for 'bumblebee tights' are going to go through the roof with this one.

Sam Claflin steals nearly every scene he's in, with a powerful gaze that transitions to scowl or smile within a heartbeat. I've been following his 50 day countdown on Instagram and it's so clear the project has been a big part of his life (he describes Sharrock as "the most wonderfully inspiring and motivating driving force" and Clarke as "the funniest, most talented and grounded mother of dragons Westeros will ever see". Strong compliments.). His sharp wit and flashes of pain are quiet but striking, and when he can't resist a small smile at Lou, we can't help but smile too. It's a weird afterthought, but I kind of wish the film opened a bigger window into his pain - even though they refer to it in passing, it could bring more understanding into the euthanasia dilemma as well as allowing Claflin to make his role even more intense. Same with his previous lifestyle, there are only glimpses via a smart birthday video for us to comprehend. Again, his Instagram shows how much training and effort went into training for the pre-accident bod, just to illustrate the drastic difference as realistically as possible.

As for the rest of the cast, I'd say they were all rather lovely. We're treated to some big British names including Charles Dance and Janet McTeer as very convincing parents in distress, Jenna Coleman as sister-slash-best-mate, and my personal favourite is Matthew Lewis as Lou's boyfriend Patrick. He probably times his runs from the fridge to the kitchen table with a FitBit. He could be more unlikable but he's Matthew Lewis and he's also naturally adorbs. Also I know, I know what you're thinking: Doctor Who + Harry Potter + Game of Thrones + Hunger Games riiiiiight?    Plus, there's a cameo from Joanna Lumley which is sure to make you chuckle.

The story is not rocket science, and the fact that most people are somewhat familiar with the book already makes nothing a surprise. Some of the scenes are cut abruptly in places, but then you have to remember this is a film that's nearly 2 hours long. With author Moyes as the screenwriter, the script is pretty loyal to the novel, however one of the primary traumatic backbones of Lou's character from the novel is omitted. Without this, her character's fine and it would be hard to make it flow properly, but going from book to film it almost feels like something's missing - and not just because it is. Regardless, you can track the film by poignant moments, for example posh concert evening, wedding crashing, holiday... Its emotional climax packs a real tear-jerking punch and I challenge you not to reach for the tissues. Plus, we get to feel the highs and lows through the soundtrack featuring a predictable Ed Sheeran song choice, plus chilling Jack Garratt and a specially-penned track from Imagine Dragons.

The film doesn't ask you to agree with the way it handles sensitive topics, just like the novel, and it even voices a spectrum of views from characters. On the topic of disability, I believe the cast and crew spent a long time researching to depict it as respectfully as possible, but there have unsurprisingly been protests. The topic of euthanasia is one that I still remember well from childhood Religious Studies classes at school - it's one we tend to avoid in discussion, yet there are still some worthwhile questions left to be pondered.

At times, Me Before You feels a tad corny, or like a teenage film a la The Fault in Our Stars but that was a ruddy brilliant book/film so that ain't necessarily a bad thing. It's sprinkled with emotions, and it knows exactly what to do at the right times...conveniently the same times as allergies hit my tear ducts uncontrollably I swear... Underneath it all it's a love story where opposites attract. As a die-hard fan of the novel, I was more than satisfied with the adaptation. The characters and portrayals are worth emotionally investing in, but you may also need to invest in some tissues...

Me Before You is in cinemas now.




*Tear-jerker rating: 8/10. I sobbed like a baby, as did 80% of those around me. But it must be noted I went to see this with my friend Alex who didn't cry!?! Minus 2 points.