Uninspired & Unoriginal

Rating: 2/10 (19 June 2016)

I'm not sure why critics are raving about Me Before You, but they clearly did not see the same film that the rest of us did, the one about a silly 20-something year-old girl who's hired by a rich couple to take care of their paraplegic son.
This film suffers from the same ailments that many American biopics and romantic comedies do, namely a lack of originality and a dull, formulaic structure - regardless of whether or not it's an "adaptation of an award-winning novel."
From the second the movie began, I predicted every single "emotional" beat in the film and when it would happen. Nothing caught me off guard or left me thinking, "Wow! I've never seen that before!" or "I never saw that coming!"
This film is a testament to the concept of "Safe Filmmaking" which pervades our entertainment industry. The main character, Lou Clark, played by Emilia Clarke, has no admirable characteristics other than she wears unorthodox outfits and likes shoes. She outright admits it herself in the film: she lacks intelligence. I suppose one could argue that she's an immensely compassionate individual, but what motivates her compassion? There's no depth to her character - or any of the characters for that matter.
Despite being financially unstable, Lou's sister and parents are happy as can be. She takes the job caring for the paraplegic, Will Traynor, played by Sam Claflin, to help keep her family afloat, but there's never any pressure that there family might be worse off if she didn't take the job. Nothing bad ever happens at all in the entire film, actually, except for at the end when Will tells Lou that they cannot be together, despite their love, and chooses to die. There's barely any conflict, Lou is never really put to the test, she never learns anything, she never overcomes any obstacles, the whole entire plot is a giant pile of emotions and obsessions (shoes for example) mushed together into a 110 minute pile of banal Oscar-bait.
I'd like to mention that this film has seen the screen in a different form before. A form that was much more enjoyable to watch, because it didn't take itself as seriously. I'm referring to the 2011 French film, The Intouchables. Perhaps the filmmakers behind Me Before You should have taken a few ideas from Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano's playbook.
When all is said and done, I came out of the theater very sad. I gave it a shot, hoping with all my being that Me Before You would challenge me or catch me off-guard with some serious wit or humor (despite knowing it would not), but instead, it was just another, average romantic drama to be filed away with the rest. It did not impress anything upon me. I did not leave the theater wondering about all the symbolism and imagery in the film and what it could mean, because there was none. Even the production design was lazy and trite - a sad misfortune indeed.
My advice to the Average Joe going to see this film: Go into the theater with zero expectations. Sit down with your popcorn and your significant other and prepare to shut off your brain like you do when you watch HGTV, sports, or sitcoms. You won't be carried away on a mystical, thought-provoking journey. No, not all. If that's the kind of experience you expect, you will be sorely disappointed.