While there have always been romantic dramas, popularity of films like The Notebook have made them all the more popular. Every year there are a few of them released and they are all pretty similar with some of them trying to do something different. The latest Me Before You stars Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin looks to bring a new element to the story, but does it have anything that makes it special or will it fail to move you?

 

Me Before You follows a young woman who takes a new job caring for a recently-paralyzed man after losing her job suddenly. While she is full of life she struggles to connect with the man who has lost the will to live, but their journey together will change them both. For a subject that is pretty dark this film manages to stay pretty lighthearted throughout. Going in I cannot lie I was expecting this film to be yet another clichéd genre film that is a struggle to get through, but while it is still clichéd it works more than it doesn’t. The issue here is that it never really stands out as anything more than average. It feels just like every other movie like this with the only real shinning thing about the film being Clarke. She brings a bubbly nature to the role that makes you smile every time she is on screen yet you still believe when she is struggling emotionally. Claflin does a fine job and props to carrying a role where he literally doesn’t get to move anything below the neck, but he never really gets to expand his range for anything all that memorable.  

 

In the end the film is pretty predictable and average at best, but will no doubt be one that most women will eat up if they are fans of the genre. If you are not a fan of films like the Notebook or The Lucky One then you will most likely not like this movie either, but decide for yourself especially if you are fan of Clarke. In addition to the film this release also includes outtakes, deleted scenes and a featurette.