Me Before You is a tale of tears and joy

Me Before You movie

A touching and moving book and movie, Me Before You

Navya Chamiraju, Copy Editor

I am not usually into romantic movies because a lot of times they are usually  a repeated cliche. However, Me Before You, the book and the movie, was not a boring old cliche with a predictable ending. Instead, it was  a moving love story that was a roller coaster ride with an unexpected ending.

The book outlines the life of Louisa Clark (Emilia Clarke), who lives in Wales and struggles to make ends meet after losing her job at the local cafe. She is a cheerful 26-year-old British woman whose attitude and personal values are put to the test when she gets hired to be the caregiver for Will Traynor (Sam Claflin). Will was a wealthy young banker who was left paralyzed from an accident two years earlier. His cynical outlook starts to change when Louisa shows him that life is worth living and her own attitude for her potential changes. As their bond deepens, their hearts and lives change in ways neither one could have imagined and the book ends with an unexpected but realistic turn of events.

The movie, which was released in 2016, follows the book almost perfectly. There were no big artistic changes done to the story line or characters. It brought the characters and the story line more to life. Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke did a wonderful job fully portraying their respective characters. Clarke’s facial expressions and body language embodied the quirky and enthusiastic spirit of Louisa. It was a great film to watch and the two hours went by very quickly. I enjoyed every moment of it, even when I was crying.

I don’t get overly emotional during movies or while reading books but this story truly moves me every time I watch the movie or read the book. I would recommend to first read the book before watching the movie because then you will truly fall in love with the characters, and you will enjoy the movie more because the images connect to the words. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and the movie and would recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind shedding a few tears. Overall, I would give the book and the movie a 9/10.