“Me Before You” is a dramatic romance, based on the book by Jojo Moyes, and it is checkered with many humorous moments. The two leads, Sam Claflin as Will Traynor and Emilia Clarke as Louisa Clark, shine. They are very talented and share terrific chemistry. The plot involves Louisa losing her job as a waitress at a restaurant. Her father has been out of work for some time, and the family greatly depends on Louisa’s income to help them survive. She applies for a job caring for the recently paralyzed Will, and Will’s mother, who hires her, sees spontaneity, a bubbling personality and kindness in Louisa that she hopes will help Will, who has turned into a bitter recluse.
Although she struggles for awhile to get through to him, Will can’t resist her charm, kindness and honesty. When glass is broken near Will and his wheel chair, she tells him, “I have no idea what I’d do if you popped a tire!” Louisa soon has him leaving the house for the first time in a long while, to do such things as attend a horse race, a concert, and even her birthday party. The scene in which she bites off a tag at the neck of his suit at the concert is hilarious. They begin to fall in love, but Louisa learns of a plan that Will has regarding his future, or rather to end his future, and they face a crisis in their relationship that will be difficult to get past.
Regrettably, despite the good cast and themes of love, devotion, and the love of life, strong language and sexual situations and comments prevent us from awarding the movie our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal.