Avant toi

A very nice, positive and likeable romantic movie that is bound to please not only ladies, but guys as well. And that’s in spite of the fact that at first I had a big problem with Emilia Clarke at the beginning because of the way she made faces into the camera. But gradually I came to understand that all her grimaces were intentional and I really grew to like her. I think I will actually call her Jim Carrey in a skirt from now on because the things she can do with her eyebrows have no match among other actresses. She was really terrific. Well and Sam Claffin does a pretty nice job as well even though his role confines him into a wheelchair. Surprisingly, all this is enough for the movie to imbue your psyche with a wave of positive, melancholic, even sad emotions. Simply put, exactly what you were expecting when you decided to go see this movie. (27/10/2016)

It's stumbles at times, but it cracks you up and can make you cry. Surprisingly, it wasn't as superficial as I thought it would be. Absolutely all of the characters in the film tried to live as best they could as best they could (even if it might have meant death in one case). It was good to watch, it moved along quite nicely, and I liked the music because it was so familiar. No one was exaggerated into caricature. A simple story about love and how it's good to live if you can live. 75%. (23/08/2016)

Fantastic relationship drama. It's not as complex and fateful as, say, The Age of Adaline, but Emilia Clarke plays perhaps the most likeable dumb girl under the sun, and that's not at all a bad thing. An emotional charge par excellence. Don't worry about whether it's realistic or not, just enjoy the show. And since we are in a time when all genres have to be super-clever and super-based, ideally conceptually groundbreaking, or at least innovative, this fresh old-school romance feels a bit like a revelation from another world. It's not really innovative in any way, it's just exquisitely polished and shot with care and feeling. (15/08/2016)

Nice. Compared to the untouchable The Intouchables, it’s is a bit too cloying and childish in an American way, with a clear-cut course and an ending adapted to the popular romantic trend (when will filmmakers finally get rid of the need to "deepen" emotionally impressive moments with wannabe touching songs?), but otherwise a terribly nice and likeable film about the need to help others, even if they don't ask for it out loud. Emotionally balanced, ranging from pleasant humour and irony to depression stemming from the hopelessness of life's situation and, except for the last few minutes, smoothly narrated and generally uplifting – especially thanks to the lovely Emilia Clarke, who emerges as a character capable of lighting up any scene with her mere presence and smile – Rachel McAdams has a serious (but welcome) competitor :-) 80% (01/08/2016)

Me Before You is a film that is in many ways different from other romantic dramas, yet it uses elements that have appeared in other films similar to it. You could feel a touch of The Intouchables through the quadriplegia, but its French predecessor played more on a humorous note, whereas here it was more about developing a relationship between diametrically opposed characters and coming to terms with a cruel fate. The cast was supremely likeable, although I did wonder at times if Emilia Clarke's wavy eyebrows were serious, but I did get a satisfying explanation at the end of the film. I liked the casting of Matthew Lewis, who managed to break out of his role as Neville from Harry Potter. I was also impressed with the soundtrack, especially the songs “Not Today” and “Unsteady”. All in all, a nicely made film set in the beautiful surroundings of England and offering a nice story that may be corny on one level, but still makes you want to watch it and get carried away by the slightly naive and cutely delivered script. (11/07/2016)

Exactly what The Art of Negative Thinking wasn't about. And yet it's shot like an earl grey commercial (slow horizontal tracking, soft sepia lights) with a terrifying acting concept from Emilia Clarke, right along the lines of "Are you laughing, Bart ol’ chum? Oh, aha, you're crying." (19/10/2016)

I'm not a big fan of romance movies, as they tend to be too melodramatic and tug at your heartstrings. I'm not a fan of Emilia Clarke either, yet I was so close to giving this film five stars. The theme was extremely close to my heart. It wasn’t too sentimental, Emilia Clarke’s acting was very natural, and she changed her facial expressions in a funtastic way. I was hooked on the plot right from the beginning and enjoyed it all the way through. I was apprehensive before watching it as the running time of 110 minutes sounded scary given that it was a romance. The film made the best of that time and didn’t cease to be interesting. Unlike other romance flicks, it wasn't spoiled by the ending albeit happy. See if you can figure out what an unhappy ending would look like. I liked the film, I identified with the main character (except for the money part) and I didn't give it five stars just because the film sometimes reminded me of The Untouchables. (13/11/2016)

I was a bit afraid it would be simplistic, too straightforward, and indeed at times it feels a bit too naive, but both main actors give it the right touch. Emilia is truly enchanting. Moreover, the film doesn't end unnecessarily romantically, although it's still beautiful. But that's life, beautiful and cruel. (27/09/2016)

I can’t believe I’m actually saying this but Me Before You is an excellent movie. At first, it all feels incredibly artificial and a little boring thanks to Clarke’s goofiness and Claflin's bored expressions, but don't judge by first impressions. It actually ends up being an incredibly feel-good movie filled with both happy and sad emotions. The behavior of the characters gradually becomes less affected and more relaxed, and especially the goofy Clarke turns into the most likeable clumsy thing with an absolutely amazing laugh (I'm really skeptical about its potential dubbing which will inevitably erase her original personality which is the core of the movie). In spite of the similar topic, I’d rather not compare this to The Intouchables, because nothing as funny and true at the same time will probably ever be filmed again. Although the theme may discourage a lot of people, if you’re in the right mood for it, Me Before You will find its fans not only among female viewers. So, I'm probably giving this the most exaggerated rating of the year, but sometimes the movie just sits so well with you that you can’t help but rate it up, perhaps even for its great soundtrack. (14/12/2016)