Monday, February 25, 2019

Romancefest 2019: Me Before You

Directed by Thea Sharrock
Written by Jojo Moyes (based on her novel)
Starring Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Jenna Coleman and Charles Dance
U.K./U.S. 2016

A fired barista who helps support her working class family snags a job as a caretaker for a rich 20-something quadriplegic. Romance blossoms but runs into conflict when it turns out time’s running out for the young man, who plans to end his own life.

I watched this one right after “Love, Rosie” and instantly got worried – it’s from the U.K., also stars Sam Claflin… am I in for more bullshit? Turns out I was not in for more bullshit. This one was pretty good. Mostly because of the lead, who up to now I’ve only ever seen play action heroes, but turns out to have a knack for comedy. Note to Emilia Clarke: play more normal people moving forward. Without giving too much away I’d like to say I admired the movie’s conviction to stick to its premise and not move off into fantasy territory. That lead to an ending with a little more substance for our heroine than you might normally find in a fluffier romance.

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