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I suppose I should begin with a spoiler warning in case you missed the headline, because I will go on to back up my points with evidence from the movie itself. I did read a couple of the negative reviews, so I wish to address some points made in those reviews first. The criticisms included that it was an ableist or discriminatory movie, that it failed to celebrate life, and that it cast people with disabilities as a burden. Also many people would have preferred a happier ending I admit to having agreed with many of their points throughout most of the movie. I was also hoping for a happier ending, but that is because I Identified mostly with Louisa and if I loved someone like that I would want to keep them with me as long as was possible. But then I thought about it from his perspective. I always said I wanted to be taken off life support if I was ever ruled brain dead. Partly so I can move on and my family can as well and partly so my organs could go to people who desperately needed them. But this is not that. A Quadriplegic could live a full and happy life: and many do. However, Will is not only a quadriplegic. He is one that led a very active lifestyle prior to his accident, yes, that is highlighted in the movie, but he also has a lot of pain We do not see the pain much because he hides it from Louisa. He is also susceptible to infections, and that when paired with weak lungs leads to repeated bouts of pneumonia. I am someone with asthma severe enough that I get bronchitis several times a year. And it is terrible. It is medicines around the clock and struggling to force air into your lungs and when you finally can breathe, you still can't function because the side effects last hours. To be clear, my illness is manageable, and I would not end my life because of it. Still, I have imagined it getting worse and I don't think I could handle that at all. I have imagined situations where I would wish to die comfortably and with dignity as opposed to in terrible pain. Maybe that makes me weak. Maybe it makes me selfish. I'm sure people will have varying opinions, but to me it means I can avoid significant pain and my loved ones can mourn all at once instead of being subjected to a long, drawn out illness, and then a death on top of that. Is the movie ableist? I don't believe so. I find that we see Will doing many things and as a result we believe he will finally change his mind...at least I genuinely did. Will is also a human being with agency over himself. We see that his mind stays incredibly sharp throughout his illness, with the exception being when he does not have the energy to be witty when he is hospitalized with pneumonia. He knows what he is doing and he has weighed the consequences. It is sad for the people who love him, but they come to respect his decision because it is his alone. Does it fail to celebrate life? I did not find it to do that. I feel that despite the ending it really was a celebration of life and love, but I can see why people would think otherwise. Does it cast people with disabilities as a burden? I think there are certain realities that come with caring for a person living with a disability or an illness. Schedules are different for caretakers. We do not see the financial burden in the movie because there isn't one for the family. They have the resources to hire caretakers and change their home to suit their son's needs. Will is luckier than he could be if his financial situation were different. But we do see the emotional toll it takes, particularly on his mother. I do not think the movie portrays anyone who cares for Will as finding him to be a burden. We see an emotional impact, particularly with his decision to end his life. Should it have been happier? I would have liked that. But then perhaps I would not have tried to see things from Will's perspective. The power of his final decision, particularly after it being unexpected, caused me to reexamine what I thought from a different perspective. The movie made me think. About what I would do and feel in many different scenarios.
I found the chemistry between the leads to be electric. Sam Claflin was believable as a quadriplegic. Emilia Clarke was expressive and endearing in a way I hadn't expected after only knowing her as a dragon queen. (I will note that seeing her meet with the man who played Tywin Lannister was quite jarring and it took me out of the movie in the scenes between the 2 of them for most of the movie.) The locations were beautiful and I found the camerawork to be different from the standard romance movie or drama. I am not sure how, but I am not a student of film either. I tend to prioritize overall story over aesthetics. I was glued to my screen throughout the movie. Every moment was used effectively and I never found myself reading the plot beforehand (which I often do when I get slightly bored during moviesI watch at home). Those moments added to the story with emotional impact. I had a lot of feelings and I cried for a good part of the movie.
I also liked how the movie dealt with the issue of living on a low income. Louisa first stands up to Will when she explains how she is not leaving because she needs the money. I found that to be a powerful moment and the acting from the leads captured its intensity perfectly. He sees her as not living up to her potential. We then learn that she wished to study fashion, and was planning on attending university, but did not go to help her family. This ties in to the theme of growth. Love changes people because they grow. When you watch this movie you watch two people grow into different people from who they were at the start. It really is beautiful. It also adds to the heartbreak at the end.
Could it have been handled better? Perhaps the jump to her in Paris at the end was a bit cold. I am not sure how it could have been better. I know the scene where he left her money so she could seize her potential was important. In that way we know he left her something and we learn he planned it from the point of the meeting with the estate lawyer. He loved her way before they shared a kiss. I keep the rating at 5 stars despite the slightly sloppy ending and pacing that can occasionally be perceived as off. This is because it made me feel and it made me think. It kept my attention and I love the story. I disagree with criticisms from other reviewers. I have tried to back up my opinions, but in the end it is only an opinion on a work of art.
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This movie made a 43 year old man cry like a baby (me)
I have watched many movies like this with my wife and never cared to review any of them. This movie is exceptional and I think anybody young or old should watch this as it really speaks to the meaning of human compassion. I won't spoil it, but I did cry at the end, I'm talking my lower lip was quivering, sniffling and the whole nine yards.. My wife had to even hug me..
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