FREEZE FRAME: “Me Before You” and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sequel

So, can the Mother of Dragons become the Queen of Weepies? “Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke takes on the lead role in the four-hankie romantic drama “Me Before You” and her sparkling performance is the best thing about the emotionally manipulative big screen adaptation of the popular novel by Jo Jo Moyes.

Clarke plays Louisa, a working class young woman who is hired by a wealthy lady to be the caretaker for her paraplegic son Will, played by Sam Claflin of “The Hunger Games” fame. zin true rom-com fashion, things get off to a bumpy start. But eventually their relationship thaws and a budding romance begins to bloom. Louisa plans some elaborate and exotic adventures for them. It sure is handy to have someone with loads of dough in these situations. But Louisa discovers, to her dismay that Will intends to commit suicide.

The likable stars help make this superficial romance more palatable. But the movie has met with a backlash from some who claim it promotes suicide. In fact, there’s a trending topic on twitter, #MeBeforeEuthanasia.

Controversy aside, “Me Before You” is a romantic fantasy conceived in a Kleenex factory.

Also opening this week, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back in “Out of the Shadows,” an action sequel that’s received a PG-13 rating for “sci-fi action violence.” Megan Fox, Will Arnett and Laura Linney lead the human cast. Andy Samberg and his pals from the comedy group Lonely Island offer an R-rated comic satire, “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.” This one is loaded with cameo appearance by big names in both comedy and music. “Weiner” tells the story of the rise and fall –and rise and fall- of politician Anthony Weiner. It was the winner of the Best Documentary prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

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