Plot: Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick. What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what coming is what keeps her sane. Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that. What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of color. And neither of them knows they’re going to change each other for all time.
My take on the movie: Everyone I know, loved the movie. I wouldn’t say I particularly loved this one but yes I definitely liked it. When I say I didn’t love this movie, doesn’t mean that there is something wrong about the movie, but I had read the novel just a week ago and so I had really really high expectation from the movie. J. W. Eagan said, ’Never judge the book by its movie’ and I will say never watch a movie if you have read the book already. Me Before You is definitely a good movie but I particularly am not that impressed as my most favourite parts and the the things which I felt was situation turner, are not been included. But saying that, we need to consider that everything a novel has couldn’t be included in the movie.
Thumbs Up:
The movie is based on one of my most favorite novels. So, the no need to say the storyline is the best thing about the movie.
Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin did really give a life to my imagination while I was reading the books.
Could Have been better: I would not say below points as thumbs down for this movie, as the people who haven’t read the novel actually loved that
- The movie went on real fast pace chopping out some real important parts of the books which should have been included
Most importantly, Lou’s effort about bringing Will to normal life was not detailed at all. Some part of those like her joining the chat rooms, buying a laptop for Will which is speech operative, planning the trip with all sky diving and everything else for quadriplegic which got canceled due to his Pneumonia should have been included.
The chemistry between Lou and her sister Treena was a vital point of the movie however, that was completely ignored in the movie.
Upon knowing about Will’s wish to die, Lou resigned from her job and Mrs. Camilla Traynor and Treena convinced her to join back which was kind of vital for me but is ignored.
During their vacation in Mauritius, when Lou learns that all her efforts are failed and Will is still stubborn about his decision of ending his lie, Lou leaves the place and doesn’t talk to Will or anyone from Traynor family until Mrs. Camilla Traynor requests her to come to Switzerland to fulfill Will’s wish of she being there. Between those days, she lived a life of keeping herself house arrest.
The entire part of Lou moving in with her boyfriend Patrick and then with Will is missing in the movie.
There are couple of factual error which were explained properly in the book but were
Will has tried to cut his wrists in a suicide attempt, though this would be physically impossible to do this due to his quadriplegia. It is in fact explained in the book that he ran himself in his wheelchair into a sharp edge multiple times.
Patrick fights with Lou about she going on a vacation with Skydive, luxurious spa and room service which is not her job. But there was no skydive and spa in the movie during Mauritius trip. In the book, there was a USA trip planned which got canceled due to Will’s illness which justifies this fight but not in the movie.
There was a scene in the movie of Lou’s mother Josie getting mad about Will’s decision and not allowing Lou to visit him at Switzerland and Lou is fighting for the same. It happens as soon as Lou reaches home after the vacation from Mauritius. But the question is while Lou herself was so mad about the incident, how was she fighting with her mother. But book justifies this situation as well.
Verdict: Though there are a couple of things which could have been improved in the movie but this movie is definitely a good watch. My friends who didn’t read the novel found this is one of the best movies of this year. :)