[yasr_overall_rating]
A girl in a small town forms an unlikely bond with a recently-paralyzed man she’s taking care of.
You know its going to be a tearjerker when the film rep starts passing out boxes of complimentary Kleenex before the lights go down and assures you that you will thank him later. Grabbing a box for sentimental purposes only, I can’t tell you how many times I kicked myself for not actually being smart enough to pick up two—one to use and one to hold onto because there was no way I was going to destroy that cute little box that would later be symbolism for an emotional blockbuster that rattled every inch of human frailty from every sector of society.
From the very beginning, I was intrigued by the introduction and introspection of sexism, classism and racism that was expertly handled throughout the entire movie with truth, humor and redemptive behavior. A young British Banker, William Traynor (Sam Clafin) in the prime of his rich, coddled life is forever impacted by a motorcycle accident that makes him a paraplegic and forces him to become dependent upon others for his care for the remainder of his life. On the other end of the spectrum, a younger woman, Louisa Clark (Emilia Clarke) who grew up poor and limited in her career choices, is forever impacted by becoming the caretaker of the man who has yet to find a reasonable way to deal with the emotional aspect of his irreversible condition other than to give up.
Smart and handsome, Will Traynor, who has excelled in business and sports, and who has traveled the world with women and other jetsetters, was hit by a motorcycle two years prior and has run through 5 caretakers when he is met with the fate of inexperienced and complacent Emilia who desperately needs a job after the donut shop where she worked for six years closes down. The pressure is on to assist her family financially, and after she is hired by Will’s mother, Camilla Traynor (Janet McTeer), to basically make Will happy, she thinks her fate is sealed. When she actually meets Will, who seems to be awaiting one more opportunity to run another caretaker off, she is not prepared for his unwelcoming spirit. Encouraged by her sister Katrina (Jenna Coleman) to hang in there until the tide turns, she decides to take a different approach, which is not surrendering to his dismissive attitude. What begins as an unlikely partnership, turns into a heartwarming cadre of exchanges that results in an endearing relationship that breaks down barriers and builds hope while increasing expectations of a fairytale ending. The geeky girl from the other side of the track woefully and intentionally uses her quirky outlook on life to win the heart of a naysayer who in reality, never loses sight of his goal which is to never fully accept his fate.
The love story that unfolds throughout the film is a play-by-play match of wits that keeps the audience fully entertained and unashamedly broken. Emila Clarke, famous for “Game Of Thones” and Sam Clafin of “Hunger Games,” play excellent roles that are a perfect fit for one another. While this film is Thea Sharrock’s directorial debut, the recipe for success seems to have been mastered, and I look forward to the next of the many I expect will follow.
In theaters now
