Sweet, sorrowful film, beautifully presented; some viewers will not feel comfortable with the ethical issues

Rating: 7/10 (11 June 2016)

In the South of Britain, near Wales, a young businessman, Will (Sam Claflin) has just kissed his girlfriend goodbye on a rainy morning. He tries to hail a taxi but, unhappily, he is struck by a motorcycle. Meanwhile, Louisa Clark (Emilia Clarke) has been a waitress in a nearby café for six years, where she proved to be a friendly asset. Unexpectedly, she is given a pink slip and a month's wages. At home, the Clarks hear this news with dismay, for Papa Clark has been laid off and Lou's salary has been supporting them all. Undaunted, the fetching, zany-dressed young gal goes to the job center for new leads. There's one promising one. It seems a mother, Camilla (Janet McTeer) is searching for a nurse's aide to help her paralyzed son. Yes, its Will, from the movie's beginning, who is now confined to a wheelchair with little motion below his neck. Will's family, the Trainers, are the richest folk in the area and live in a modified castle. In short order, Louisa gets the position, for she is chatty and gregarious, despite her lack of nursing experience. But, wait, Will greets his new caretaker with undisguised rudeness, asking her to "not talk" to him and stay out of his way as much as possible. A roving nurse, Nathan, though, tells Louisa he is delighted she is there and assures her that Will is rude because his situation is so bleak. In time, things change. Will does become more communicative and is cheered by Lou's weird clothes and infectious manner. When his former girlfriend comes to break the news that she is engaged to a man who was once W's best friend, Louisa is there to help Will from falling to pieces. In fact, Lou and the nurse decide to put forth a list of outings which will, hopefully, change his view toward life. This involves going to the horse races and a symphony concert. Indeed, Will does seem cheerier. But, oh no, Lou overhears Will state he agreed to give himself six months of living for his mother's sake, at which end he hopes to go a euthanasia clinic in Switzerland. Can this really be, when Lou has started to love Will and he seems to being feeling the same way about her? This sweet, sorrowful movie will have its viewers in waterfalls of tears. Yes, there are moments of humor and fun, but, the tale is always a story of a wheelchair bound man, formerly very active. who struggles to accept his new reality. The cast is great, with Claflin, Clarke, McTeer, Charles Dance, and all of the others doing fine work. Mr. Claflin, who also appeared in Love, Rosie, will hopefully not be confined to roles in love stories, although his handsome face is swoon worthy. Then, the setting is superb, a lovely glimpse at a little known part of Britain. Louisa's costumes are "sublimely ridiculous" amid a well clad cast and the script, from a novel by JoJo Moyes, is carefully, poignantly written. Finally, the direction is somewhat slow, at times, but hits all the right marks for its presentation. As stated above, some viewers will not like the film's stance on euthanasia, as it strongly supports personal choice. Therefore, listen to this caution. However, most viewers, especially fans of romantic drama, will welcome the opportunity for a sweet, sad cry.