Time to look at another rom-com, and at this point, I’m more
than willing to welcome the presence of a genre that is so consistently sweet
to the point of diabetic as this. Not only does it mean that I can get away
from the frankly depressing films that I have yet to watch for this year, it
also means that I can take a break from any heavy topics… or, at least, that’s
what I thought.
The plot: Recently fired worker Louisa (Emilia Clarke), needing a stable job to help keep her family fed, takes up a job taking care of Will (Sam Claflin), a former banker who was paralyzed in a traffic accident two years earlier. Initially being turned off by his incredibly cynical view of the world, the two start to connect and enrich each other’s lives and a possible romance starts to bloom. Unfortunately, they may not have long to let it advance, as it seems that Will has already set in motion a plan to end his pained existence with dignity.
I get the feeling that I have completely missed the boat
when it comes to properly getting into Game Of Thrones. I say this because,
between this and Terminator: Genisys, I am now totally incapable of taking
Emilia Clarke seriously. This is easily her most bubbly performance yet,
showcasing an almost superhuman knack for sweet nothings and comedic
awkwardness that makes her a good fit as the female lead. Claflin, having
already shown a certain sardonic charm in films like The Hunger Games series,
does excellently as this rather morbid and snarky romantic lead. He helps make
what could have been an unlikeable character more in line with other romance
films adapted from novels (insert Nicholas Sparks and/or Stephanie Meyer joke
here) into someone that even I want
as a boyfriend.
Jenna Coleman, AKA worst New-Who companion to date, as Lou’s sister is serviceable, Charles Dance and Janet McTeer as Will’s parents do great things with the heavy emotional weight that they’re given, Steve Peacocke as Will’s nurse rounds off the main trio very well, and Matthew Lewis… God, it makes me feel old seeing him this grown-up in a movie. That’s probably not helped by how, despite how well he plays the role, he is still one of the more egregious examples of the disposable love interest that I’ve seen in quite a while.
Jenna Coleman, AKA worst New-Who companion to date, as Lou’s sister is serviceable, Charles Dance and Janet McTeer as Will’s parents do great things with the heavy emotional weight that they’re given, Steve Peacocke as Will’s nurse rounds off the main trio very well, and Matthew Lewis… God, it makes me feel old seeing him this grown-up in a movie. That’s probably not helped by how, despite how well he plays the role, he is still one of the more egregious examples of the disposable love interest that I’ve seen in quite a while.
As a romance, this is quite lovely in all honesty. Clarke
and Claflin’s chemistry is very strong, managing to make it comfortably awkward
when needed without going into the realms of unwatchable. Probably just the
film buff in me, but the fact that the point when they finally start to get
along is thanks to a combination of discovering foreign movies and Michael Bay's Armageddon
was honestly kind of sweet. What ends up helping this is that, between Lou and
Will, we have that whole ‘opposites attract’ cliché at work but in a way where
it doesn’t feel forced. Will’s snarking about Lou’s fashion choices matches
nicely alongside Lou bringing a bit of sunshine to Will’s drum-n-bass
lifestyle. That said, this film isn’t immune from the trimmings of the genre,
as we not only get the disposable love interest, and an extremely irritating
one at that both in the flesh and how thinly he’s written, as well as the
third-act break-up that will never cease to annoy me.
So, what about its place as a comedy? Again, for the most
part, it’s quite good since it leans heavily on the main couple and their
banter. Being adorable forgives a lot of potential sins, apparently. However,
it does start to clash a bit with how the story handles its “every rom-com
needs a gimmick” gimmick with Will being disabled… and how he wants to end his
own life. The fact that, at about the halfway point, it turns into Lou
desperately trying to change his mind in that regard adds a very sickly
aftertaste to the more awkward bits of comedy. Like the day out at the horse
races, for instance, which despite a couple nice moments, feels wrong to watch
because of how heavy a stake the plot puts in these moments working and yet
intentionally not. But then again, for as much as I’ve complained about chick
flicks failing to accept the harshness of reality, the fact that this is as
morbid as it is is kind of a good thing… even if others don’t necessarily see
it that way.
The next part of my look at the film will be dealing with
issues that heavily tied into the film’s plot, which means *SPOILERS* from here on out, but I’ll try and keep it from explaining
the ending in its entirety.
This film has fallen under some criticism for its treatment
of those with a disability, spoken with as much vitriol as my own diatribes
concerning films that badly portray depression and/or autism. Now, maybe it’s
because of my closer attachment to the latter than the former, but I don’t see
this as anything all that offensive. If someone wants to say that I have no
right commenting on this as an able-bodied man, fine, but here’s how I see it. Will isn’t obnoxiously
portrayed as a burden on his family and carers, nor does the film take a stance
that he is better off dead than disabled; instead, it’s only him and his
character that perceives itself as such.
One of the only benefits that comes with living with depression is accepting that there are fates worse than death, and for some, that’s how life can feel. Will planning his own end, at least as how this film depicts it, honestly falls under the usual grey areas involving euthanasia and, given the character we get and his rather dry attitude towards the world, I can understand why he would wish to do so. If this film, like others I’ve covered in the past, went out of its way to depict his life as one giant hardship for the people around him, as well as them actively wanting him to do this, that’s one thing. Here, it’s just one person making a decision that he believes is right for him and whether that decision is “right” will probably vary for audiences depending on their stances on the issue of euthanasia. Me personally… well, I don’t think I would have a right to say he can’t decide what to do with his own life if this was outside of fiction. After shit like Lights Out, a film that actually did say that you’re better off dead than with depression, this is really small potatoes.
One of the only benefits that comes with living with depression is accepting that there are fates worse than death, and for some, that’s how life can feel. Will planning his own end, at least as how this film depicts it, honestly falls under the usual grey areas involving euthanasia and, given the character we get and his rather dry attitude towards the world, I can understand why he would wish to do so. If this film, like others I’ve covered in the past, went out of its way to depict his life as one giant hardship for the people around him, as well as them actively wanting him to do this, that’s one thing. Here, it’s just one person making a decision that he believes is right for him and whether that decision is “right” will probably vary for audiences depending on their stances on the issue of euthanasia. Me personally… well, I don’t think I would have a right to say he can’t decide what to do with his own life if this was outside of fiction. After shit like Lights Out, a film that actually did say that you’re better off dead than with depression, this is really small potatoes.
All in all, ignoring the petty gripes protesters had about this being a
disability snuff film (that’s a bloody quote, just FYI), this is a perfectly
serviceable rom-com. Hell, because of how dark the subject matter can get, it
makes for a quite refreshing watch that allows for actual drama and comedy to
come forth. The acting is good, the chemistry between our love interests is
even better, the writing makes a decent balance between sweet and bitter, and
the willingness to discuss tougher topics, while occasionally clashing with the
sweeter tone, gives this a lot more merit than other novel-adapted rom-coms
that I’ve seen of late.
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