Musings On Me Before You.

An honest explanation of my feelings of the film, compared to the novel, and why I believe you should experience both.

Via warnerbros.co.uk

Right, before we begin, SPOILER ALERTS! So if you haven't seen the film or read the book and don't want to know what happens, RETREAT TO SAFETY.

Now we have the pleasantries out of the way, I'll tell you what I really think.

His heroic portrayal of the lovable Finnick ODair made me fall in love with Sam Claflin. His rugged, chiseled abs coupled with his romantic relationship with Annie won me over; fair and square. It wasn't long after that I discovered 'Love, Rosie' and fell in love with him all over again. As well as my burning passion for Claflin, my heart also yearns for my friendly neighborhood Khaleesi, Emilia Clarke. I constantly, desperately crave a strong female character, and the most recent Game of Thrones seems to be offering them up on a silver platter. So when I found out about a movie which had both of my current celeb crushes? Well, suffice to say, I was more than a little excited.

But. It was WEEKS before the film came out. How was I going to sate my thirst for this movie? Aha! Salvation! Me Before You is a novel! I was saved. So, I downloaded the book, I could easily read it at work (cheeky, I know!). Within pages I was gripped. I connected with Louise Clark, I saw myself in her. Girl from small town, trying to do her family proud whilst struggling to find a job she'd enjoy. It all sounded eerily familiar. Coupled with the quirky dress sense – I've been known to wear odd shoes in my time. So, I read on, engrossed. Their love flourished, the book was filled with love, anguish, raw pain and enough emotion to make Dwayne Johnson cry.

Then, I came to the end.

I willed Will (pun intended) to call off his trip to Switzerland. Maybe in the last few sentences he would miraculously change his mind? But, no. I threw my phone across the room approximately seven times during that last chapter. I threw it and sobbed into my pillow; because nothing affects me more than a love story with a not-so-happy ending. Jojo Moyes had written a book that had honestly affected me. Thank god it was a Friday and I didn't have to work the following day, I was a wreck. I kept being overwhelmed with sadness. I spoke to anyone who would listen about this novel. 'Read it!' I urged, 'but when your gut tells you to stop reading, about 10 pages from the end, listen to it and make up your own ending.'

Now, my excitement about the film had temporarily been replaced with dread and fear. I read short articles about the film, before its release, explaining how similar the film was to the book. 'Maybe they'll change the ending' I bargained with myself. So the time came, I booked my tickets. The feeling of excitement and dread intermingled. I packed my tissues and ventured off to the cinema. Within the first few seconds I whispered to my boyfriend 'it's perfect'. The movie had managed to capture the essence of the book so perfectly. The castle is exactly as I imagined it, their family home, Will's annex. It was all perfect. The film was done beautifully. And I realised just how expressive Emilia Clarke's eyebrows are. Seriously, I've never seen eyebrows move like that. To my disappointment, they kept the ending the same. But, I didn't see him die on screen, and if Game of Thrones has taught me anything it's that if you don't SEE a character actually die on screen, then there's a good chance they didn't die. That's how I comforted myself.

I heard a lot of mixed reviews after the film came out, many of which I didn't think were fair. Many slated the film for insinuating that euthanasia is the only option for someone who is severely disabled, and that life isn't worth living. If I had only seen the film, I might happen to agree. However, the novel provides an online outlet for Lou, who discovers many people with disabilities who are living and loving their lives. The novel, to me, doesn't feel like an ultimatum of life and disability. It was a love story between two people, one of which made a personal decision that many others wouldn't have made.

Another review was a critique of a missed out section of the story line, this one I did catch on to whilst watching the film. Lou's abuse in the maze. In the novel, this is one of the turning points, where Lou and Will really connect, however Moyes made the conscious decision to exclude it from the film. She describes how she didn't want to make the movie all about a girl who had been raped, novels provide a lot of space and time for a lot of information to be processed, but a story line like that would have severely impacted the feel of the movie.

So whether you saw the film and are curious about the book; I urge you to read it! Or if you read the book and don't want the film to ruin it; watch the film. They're so similar and beautifully done, in their own ways. I encourage the mix of movies and novels; when done correctly. Which in this case it was, it really was.