Enjoyable, if you do not think about what you see...

Rating: 6/10 (17 October 2016)

I've heard so much glorification of this movie, that I was eager to watch it as soon as possible and enjoy its magnificence, but then... disappointment on many levels. To be clear, this movie is not a crap, but it's just slightly different from high budget South- American soap opera with Hollywood production.
Acting is satisfying, scenery and landscapes are sometimes breathtaking and production is on the level. That would be all I can commend.
Story... This movie doesn't have "o" of originality and it is predictable from opening scene to ending credits. There's no single surprise or twist. Everything in it has been already seen and thoroughly verified Hollywood clichÃ©s are carefully wrapped in decorative paper.
Will is successful businessman from wealthy family who ends up in wheelchair after traffic accident. On that fateful day he would go to work on motorbike, but his wealthy and beautiful blonde stops him. Same second he gave up on his motorbike I was sure what will happen next. While he was crossing the street on his foot he was hit by, you won't believe this, motorbike. Of course, in this type of story, the one in wheelchair is usually male and rich and he hires someone poor to care for him. At the beginning he is cold and grumpy, but in time he starts to show his warmer side. Am I the only one who saw "The Intouchables" ?! Slight touch of "Beauty and the Beast" maybe ?! Though here we have poor girl that gave up on higher education to take care of her family, instead of black petty criminal. She irresistibly reminds me of "Ugly Betty"...
Wills relationship with his blonde falls apart after the accident and she marries his best friend. His new caretaker is seven years in relationship with egocentric sportsman until time with Will opens her eyes and she realizes she is not happy, so she falls in love with Will. Author is trying to catch us on cheap pathetic...
Characterization is lousy. We see two-dimensional characters who are not well developed, not even close. How did Will win her love ?! What is that she falls for ?! Fact that he is good looking and rich ?! I doubt author had intention to send that message, but except for his looks and money we see no other positive sides of Will. She gets money from his parents and organizes luxury dates and travels in attempt to awake desire to live in Will... or maybe she provides herself a chance to experience things she could only dream about before she got access to his money... I understand what author wanted to present, but also I can not stop myself from seeing what's obvious. I did not make up any of this. I just point out the obvious.
They go out, they travel exotic destinations, they fall in love. Will has good time with his new girl, she loves him unconditionally, he is offered to get back to his job, his family provides full support, and he is rich. But that's not worth living and he decides he should kill himself. Yes, he planned this way before he met her, but not even love of his life can change his decision. What message does it send to us ?!
That people with disabilities are useless, dead burden to their surroundings, that they have nothing to give, professionally or emotionally, that good job, supporting family and true love are not worth living for ?! Somehow Stephen Hawking pops up in my mind...
Sure, no one can stops you from killing yourself, but having health institution to help you ?! If you are in continuous unbearable pain and your life comes down just to pure survival in endless agony... then maybe.
But let's ignore moral dilemmas and stay in limits of this movie. If you already decided to kill yourself and nothing, not even true love, can make you change your mind, why the hell did you mislead innocent girl, give her false hope and broke her long term relationship, just to make her sucker at the end and leaver her emotionally destroyed... That seem selfish and cruel to me.
At wedding, on the dance floor, he openly admitted that before his accident he would never noticed girl like her, let alone fell in love with her. And after accident his life is so worthless that even their true love is not worth living. Somewhere I saw that perfectly put in one sentence. "I cannot live and love you because I refuse to live and love as any other man than the man I was; however, if I were the man I was, I would not have loved you." But she does not mind.
And so on, they fall in love, the time has come to go, she gives up her believing and needs and escorts him on last voyage. Movie ends with epilogue. He is dead and he left her with fat bank account (and she did not even had to get married) and a letter that sends her to Paris, his favorite place on Earth, with detailed instruction where to go and what to look for. "P.S. I Love You"... anyone ?!
Don't get me wrong, movie is more than watchable. After reading my review you would probably think that 6/10 is too high. But if you avoid to analyze, just grab your popcorn and sit comfortably in your sofa to watch the screen with half a brain, you will enjoy two hours of stereotyped Hollywood romance drama, and maybe it will even make you laugh or cry once or twice...