Me Before You

Dir: Thea Sharrock

2016

**

If I was going to rate this film purely on entertainment, production, direction and performance it would be a three star film, almost four. However, due to the horrible treatment of a delicate subject, I feel I have no choice but to give it two stars and that is me being generous whilst acknowledging certain elements that are to the film's credit. Firstly, Emilia Clarke is adorable. Her role is essentially as the object of desire, affection and happiness. While she is clearly physically attractive, her persona, enthusiasm and character is infectious. It was vital that her character be irresistibly lovable in order for the story to work and become believable and thanks to her it is. The truth is she carries the film effortlessly and it's hard to be damning of the film when she's given such a tremendous performance, I even liked (didn't hate) Sam Claflin in this film, like she shone so brightly that everything that was amateurish, clichéd and stereotypical about the film got lost in her shadow. Had her part been played by anyone else I think the film would have flopped and criticizing it would be easy. However, it is impossible to ignore the underlying message that it would be better to be dead than to be disabled. I'm not at all against euthanasia but it is something that should be considered on a case by case basis by those who are either terminal or are suffering terribly. I totally believe in dignity in death. The problem is, Claflin's character doesn't come close to qualifying. It is a very real insult to the many people living with the same and harsher disabilities that he has and the fact that he's a wealthy man who lives a privileged life makes it all the more worse. I believe Jojo Moyles, the author of the novel the film is based on, saw it as a Romeo and Juliette style tragic romance but the reality is that it is a woefully distasteful handling of a sensitive subject. It's actually quite shocking and it doesn't surprise me that there have been Global protests. It's easy to enjoy and appreciate the romantic chemistry between the two lead characters but I'm afraid the conclusion left a sickening taste in my mouth and I'm concerned that not enough people have really thought about what the film is saying and have accepted it without question, such is the modern audience. I hope I'm wrong.