Never Let Me Go

By the films end, I found myself slightly disappointed with the experience. I had only read have of the novel upon its publication a few years ago. Perhaps, this should have been a sign that I wasn't quite interested in the subject matter of the film. But, the previews were quite tempting. And was excited to finally have the time to view Never Let Me Go. While I may not have loved the film, I am still happy to have watched it.

The film follows three people from their childhood to their adulthood. The three characters in question are all students at what appears to be a normal English country side boarding school. But, one day a new teacher (played so lovingly and briefly by Sally Hawkins) reveals the truth to the students. The students have all been cloned to fulfill the roles of donors when they have reached the age of 18. It is this element of science fiction that turns me off most from the film. While I understand the ethical debate and serious issue of the films suggestions, I still feel quite removed from the concept.

The way this works best for the film is how these children are made to realize how short their lives are and as they grow to become 18 they really have no future. The past becomes everything for them. And, it was quite nice to see this change. One is used to seeing much older characters dealing with issues of death and regret. Carrying on raw, honest conversations about the way the past should have played out. In Never Let Me Go we are witnessing this from the early twenty year olds.

The film is beautifully shot. The acting is perfect (Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Charlotte Rampling... and, dare I say it, even Keira Knightley doesn't bother me for once). The score plays so well with every scene. I have no real reason to feel so so about the film, but this is how I feel. I just never really connected with the characters or the plot. I think this is of no fault of the filmmakers or the cast, but just my own bias.

C+