Me Before You

The 1970 film adaptation of Erich Segal’s Love Story, with Ali McGraw dying in Ryan O’Neil’s arms, jerked more tears from viewers than today’s Me Before You, although this adaptation of Jo Jo Moyes’ best-selling novel gave it a gallant effort. It was a nice way to spend an afternoon, admiring English countryside and watching how the truly wealthy live, even those who are total quadriplegics. Will Traynor (Sam Claflin), son of Steven and Clamilla Traynor (Charles Dance and Janet McTeer)), lives with his parents in a castle outside of London, a castle expansive enough to house the entire British army, and I mean BIG, with high walls and battlements and huge, carefully manicured grounds. All it lacked was a moat. Will is a handsome nobleman (noble in looks and abilities but not a member of English nobility) who suffered a spinal injury when he was struck by a motorcyclist on a busy London avenue. Two painful and depressing years later, Will is, despite his parents’ objections, ready to call it quits. He had been a bon vivant, skilled in whatever sport he attempted, engaged to a beautiful blond goddess. He had the world pretty much by the gonads until this injury came along to step on his life. Now, all he wants to do is die. He’s told his parents he’d give them six months to convince him to live. His mother then hires a young woman to serve as his caregiver, really hoping she might be the right medicine for her son, someone to make him change his mind. Okay, that’s the plot setup and the rest is pretty much obvious. If it weren’t for Emilia Clarke, who plays Louisa Clark, the caregiver, this movie wouldn’t have much going for it. But there she is, short and perky, with a face that can twist into a thousand expressions and a wardrobe of which John Daly would be proud. For those who don’t know John Daly, he’s a flamboyant professional golfer who dresses in eye-aching color combinations.

The viewer can’t help but fall in love with Lou, just as Will does. With a bottomless reserve of money from the Traynors, Lou takes Will on a bucket list of activities to show him that life really is worth living. Unlike Love Story, this film looks at a controversial subject, assisted suicide. Is his paralysis enough to justify killing himself? Or might he, like Jeffrey Deaver's protagonist Lincoln Rhyme (from novels like The Bone Collector, The Coffin Dancer, etc.), find a way to a full, productive, happy life? Or is his pain bad enough that the quality of his life is no longer acceptable? It was a nice little romance with a few too many obvious images, like that lightning flash just as they kiss for the first time, or that maple leaf floating to earth near the end of the film. Like I said, it was a pleasant way to spend two hours, but without Emilia Clarke it would have been two wasted hours.