Great landscapes, but typical story

Rating: 6/10 (4 June 2016)

Having read the book before knowing there was a movie coming out about it, I knew the whole plot. And knowing the whole plot made this film unexciting to watch for me. I just didn't feel like it was anything special. It might also be because of the story itself. I've outgrown romantic comedies, and though this does have a ending that isn't usually in romantic comedies, it still progressed as one.
The characters are typical and not that interesting. Though having said that, Clarke as Louisa does a good job of bringing out her character's quirky and bubbly personality. Clafin's character on the other hand, is your typical rich boy with lots of baggage, and it's up to the girl to make the boy whole again. Not my cup of tea. Also, movies like these perpetuate the idea that boys and girls cannot remain in a platonic relationship if they are in close proximity to each other.
While the characters are typical, the acting did the film justice enough. The characters were brought to life, and there is good chemistry between Clarke and Clafin, although it was somewhat awkward.
The cinematography is well done, as it does a good job of showing the landscapes in the area. The sweeping and aerial shots of the castle gives audiences the impression of how big the space actually is. Also, wide shots of cities like Paris, is nicely done. However, I did not like the many close-up shots of the characters. I felt too close and intrusive.
I'm not sure why people cried while watching this. OK, I mean I am quite detached from emotion when watching things, but I did not feel that there was much emotional buildup. Could have just been me. Overall, this is a well made film, but was a little boring to me.