I am someone who is highly skeptical of movies released in the summer. Not that I don’t enjoy them (sometimes); I do, but I tend to get annoyed at movies which I feel were made for the sole purpose of making money, and summer movies tend to fit right into this category. They normally have at least one big actor in the starring role, a memorable and intriguing poster, a short and catchy title, and no substance. I will admit that while writing this, a specific example comes to mind (Melissa McCarthy’s "Tammy," which I swear was the worst movie I ever watched -- sorry!) but these generalizations aren’t too far from the truth about most summer movies. Now, when I went to the movies to watch "Me Before You" the day it premiered, I was both excited and fearful of how I would feel when I left -- you see, I love Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin, and normally trust movies produced/directed/made by and that star British people, but "Me Before You" had the typical ingredients of the summer movies I tend to hate, and to top it all off it was based on a romance novel (which reminds me of Nicholas Sparks movies, which I tend to not like). But I had seen the trailer months in advance and shared it with my closest friends telling them we should watch it together, my favorite band is on the soundtrack, and I had followed Sam Claflin’s Instagram countdown -- that movie was something I had been waiting for for months. You can see I was conflicted at the very least when I sat down on the cinema’s chair.

This all being said, the minute the movie ended I found myself gathering breath and needing to stay on my chair for at least five extra minutes to process what had happened and cry a little (read: lot) more. It is fantastic. Emilia Clarke does wonders playing Louisa Clark, a role I swear she was born to play: She is charismatic, quirky, loveable, beautifully naive, and authentic, and most of all, never once did I see Daenerys Targaryen on the screen, the character she is most well-known for and from which she might never be really free from (because let’s be honest; Jennifer Aniston will always be Rachel and Daniel Radcliffe will always be Harry Potter). The moments in the movie that touched me the most were those where Louisa’s hope for a better world was challenged and the expression in her eyes was enough to make anyone’s heart quiver. Sam Claflin was the perfect person to juxtapose Louisa’s bubbly personality with a seriousness and lack of charisma that is typically not attributed to Claflin (just Google pictures of him as Finnick in "The Hunger Games" or Alex in "Love, Rosie"). His portrayal of Will Traynor makes you despise, love, miss, and sympathize with the character all at once, feelings which contribute to an effective delivery of the movie’s message and will leave you distraught for a few minutes. Clarke and Claflin are the ideal pair and share a palpable chemistry necessary for the plot to work. The movie was shot in the most beautiful places, which makes it a treat both for the heart and for the eyes, and the other characters that surround the starring couple like Matthew Lewis’ semi-jerk runner (and Louisa’s boyfriend) Patrick, Will’s parents, Will’s nurse Nathan, and the whole of Louisa’s family, are essential pieces which compose an authentic and believable small town dynamic.

When I was following Sam Claflin’s 50-day countdown for the movie’s release date on Instagram (I do recommend you see it here), he repeatedly mentioned how special making this movie really was (so special that Emilia Clarke tattooed a bumblebee after she was finished shooting) and shared behind the scenes pictures which showed a very honest and loving bond between the movie’s cast and crew. My favorite part of the countdown was when he left his own copy of "Me Before You" (the book) with a special handwritten message inside in a London subway cart for someone to find, read, and keep (see picture 1, 2, and 3). After watching the movie, I understand the sentiment behind Claflin’s posts and can only imagine how much it meant and what a special experience it was to shoot this movie. It meant a lot to watch it, too. Congratulations, Jojo Moyes, for the touching story you created, Thea Sharrock for taking the lead and bringing the story to the screen, and Emilia, Sam, and the rest of the cast for bringing these characters to life. Now go buy tissues and watch the movie too!