Me Before You

"Last time we saw Emilia Clarke on the big screen, away from majestically riding dragons on the small, she appeared strangely out of her depth as a pale reiteration of Sarah Connor in the execrable Terminator Genisys. I’m not sure she’s any more convincing here as a manic pixie dream girl in Me Before You, dressed head-to-toe in eye-sore wardrobe that’s equal parts Teletubbies and granny vintage. You’ll either find her bubbly, foot-in-mouth dorkiness grating or charming, but at least she gives a respectable crack at it, and during the film’s best moments, works up palpable chemistry with co-star Sam Claflin, whose self-loathing quadriplegic becomes a gooey object of her affection, and vice versa."

"A melodrama with soft-rock ballads where its beating heart should be."

"It’s not perfect, but the novel’s five million readers have nothing to worry about: it’s totally loyal to the book (unsurprisingly since Moyes wrote the script)."

"There’s gentle manipulation, and then there’s having your arms manacled to a freight train of weepy catharsis..."

"A recent screening of "Me Before You" concluded with audible sniffles and even a sob or two. Why not gales of laughter or quiet snores? These are the mysteries that trouble a critic's uneasy mind."

"Transferring from theatre, director Thea Sharrock ramps up the property porn, while failing to fill this space with anything like recognisable human activity or emotion."

"A borderline creepy load of old rubbish"

"You can't blame audiences too much for being seduced by two shining young stars in a movie romance that hits the spot, bitter and sweet."

"The chemistry between the leads and a few finely etched supporting turns provide welcome counterweight to the movie’s formulaic progression..."

"The film will feel familiar to anyone who’s sniffled through "Love Story" or "The Fault in Our Stars." It’s better than both."